


Not Just Tools

by FukaiFox



Series: Not Just Tools - Detroit: Become Human Pokémon AU [1]
Category: Detroit: Become Human (Video Game), Pocket Monsters | Pokemon - All Media Types
Genre: Alcohol Abuse/Alcoholism, Android abuse, Angst, Blood and Injury, During Canon, Implied/Referenced Drug Use, Other, Pokemon - Freeform, Pokemon AU, Pokemon Abuse, Polyamorous Jericho, Suicidal Thoughts, ill make anything angsty try me, platonic HankCon
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-01-27
Updated: 2019-09-02
Packaged: 2019-10-17 12:34:24
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 15
Words: 52,316
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17560481
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/FukaiFox/pseuds/FukaiFox
Summary: Even the Pokémon in Connor's possession didn't belong to him, they belonged to CyberLife. And they had been ordered by their trainers to do as Connor instructs of them.An android couldn't love anything, no matter how much it might think it can.[SOFTWARE INSTABILITY ^]





	1. Partners

**Author's Note:**

> this AU grabbed me by the throat and refuses to release me

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> He walks inside with his mission in the corner of his vision: Locate Lieutenant Hank Anderson. Should be easy enough. Then again, he’d told himself the same thing at the last four bars in the area he looked in and none of them had the man he was looking for.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Connor and Hank meet, and they're equally unimpressed with eachother.

The sign outside the establishment informs potential patrons that neither androids nor Pokémon are allowed inside, but Connor ignores it. Any other android would actually be stopped by an invisible wall of programming if they tried to enter anyway, but not Connor. He can do as he pleases in the name of accomplishing his tasks, even if it means overriding the orders of others. He walks inside with his mission in the corner of his vision: **_Locate Lieutenant Hank Anderson_**. Should be easy enough. Then again, he’d told himself the same thing at the last four bars in the area he looked in and none of them had the man he was looking for. Human customers give him strange looks and whisper shrewd comments about his arrival to themselves, and the bartender just stares. Connor’s facial recognition identifies him as the very “Jimmy” who owns the place. He doesn’t care. He’s not Lieutenant Anderson. Scanning various faces he passes there’s only one at the end he hasn’t managed, curtained by wavy, wiry silver hair that had likely once been blond, or very light brown at the least. Tilting his head and bending to the side a little bit, Connor manages to scan his face from a slight profile as the to-be-identified man sips at his drink.   
  
There’s his man.   
  
Connor approaches stiffly and with purpose.   
  
“Lieutenant Anderson, my name is Connor. I’m the android sent by CyberLife.” he says. “I looked for you at the station but nobody knew where you were, though they said you might be having a drink nearby.” Connor informs him, ignoring the human’s blatant disinterest in his words. “I was lucky to find you at the fifth bar.”  
  
The Lieutenant doesn’t look at him, just down at his drink like if he stares at it hard enough then Connor will disappear.   
“...what do you want?”  
  
His voice is gruff and deep, gravely from the toll his drinking habit has taken on his throat.   
  
“You were assigned a case early this evening, a homicide, involving a CyberLife Android. In accordance with procedure, the company has allocated a specialized model to assist investigators.”   
  
“Well, I don’t need any assistance.” Hank says, turning his head a little. “Especially not from a plastic asshole like you. So just be a good little robot and get the fuck outta here.” Hank waves his fingers in a dismissive motion, as if that would actually make Connor give up, and goes back to nursing his drink. Connor just stares as four prompts show up in the corner of his vision, and he decides to be understanding.   
  
“I understand that some people are not comfortable with the presence of androids, but I am-“  
  
Hank lifts his head more but keeps his eyes ahead, interrupting Connor.   
“I am perfectly comfortable. Now back off, before I crush you like an empty beer can!”  
  
The Lieutenant’s threat is absurd for multiple reasons, the top two being that androids don’t feel fear, so it’s wasted, and that the human would inevitably do more damage to himself than to Connor if he even tried. Connor opts for another direction, appealing to his reason.

"Listen, I think you should stop drinking and come with me. It'll make life easier for both of us." Connor says, seeing out of the corner of his eyes that the bartender looks amused at the sight before him. The Lieutenant just nods lazily and continues drinking anyway. Connor isn't really all that surprised his methods aren't working, but this Lieutenant Anderson is getting on his nerves. Three new prompts are offered to Connor and he picks the one most likely to appeal to his assigned human.

"You know what?" he starts rhetorically, "I'll buy you one for the road. What do you say?"

Connor doesn't wait for an answer, just gets Jimmy's attention and requests another glass on whiskey, placing the cash on the bar counter to pay for it. Hank just lifts his eyes in surprise and smirks.

"See that, Jim? Wonders of technology... Make it a double." He says. Jimmy just huffs a laugh and pours the amber drink into the glass and takes the money. Hank raises his glass a little to the man and tosses it all back at once, taking a few deep breaths afterwards and finally turning to look at Connor for the first time.

"Did you say homicide?"

 

-

 

It must be thirty minutes into their music-filled car ride when Hank turns down the volume and glances his eyes over to the android in his passenger seat and briefly down to his belt where there are six shining black and gold Ultra Balls.

"...never seen an android cop with more than one. Always just regular red balls, too." Hank says. What makes this android so special that he gets a full team?

Connor nods.

"I'm a specialized model, as I explained to you before. A prototype detective-type android. CyberLife thought it would be useful if I also had a standard team of six Pokémon well-suited to my needs."

Hank slowly nods his head. Most officer androids were given the standard Growlithe, he'd never seen an android with a specialized team. He was curious just what Connor had. What Pokémon was a prototype detective given? Hank just sighs and puts the music back on, continuing their silent drive to the crime scene. When they arrive, Hank sees Connor lean forward a bit like he was trying to see what was going on. Hank pulls up beside the house and parks, turning to the android.

 

"You," he starts, pointing a finger at Connor, "wait here. I won't be long." he says, unfastening his seatbelt and starting to get out when the android responds.

"My instructions are to accompany you to the crime scene, Lieutenant."

 

Huh. An android that talked back? Interesting. But annoying. Connor wasn't needed here. Someone probably killed this poor fucker and stole his android, case closed. CyberLife didn't need to get their big important panties in a twist over something like this.

 

"Listen, I don't give a fuck about your instructions. I told you to wait here, so you shut the fuck up, and you wait here." He adopts a tone like he were talking to a child, which this android honestly reminded him of with its naivety and constant pushing. He waits until the android just turns its head and faces forward without anymore argument before getting out of the car. There are curious civilians and journalists blocking the sidewalk, but Hank forces his way through them. The media has cameras rolling and microphones out waiting for an explanation of what's happened here, but Hank doesn't give them anything. He's in the yard when an officer android behind him says something that catches his attention.

"Androids are not permitted beyond this point." he hears, and Hank deflates with annoyance and turns his head over his shoulder and calls out, "It's with me!"

He doesn't even need to see Connor to know it's him. He sighs and gives the android a confused expression.

"What part of 'stay in the car' didn't you understand?"

 

It's a rhetorical question, but of course the android answers him anyway.

"Your order contradicted my instructions, Lieutenant."

 

Oh, so because this thing was a rep for CyberLife it could just, what, ignore orders and do whatever it wanted? Great.

"Fine. You don't talk, you don't touch anything, and you stay outta my way, got it?"

"Got it."

 

Another officer calls to Hank from the porch and the two turn towards it.

"Evenin' Hank! Was startin' to think you weren't gonna show." Ben says, walking up to them. Hank sighs and jabs a thumb in Connor's direction.

"Yeah, well, that was the plan, 'til this asshole found me." he says, and Ben raises his eyebrows and purses his lips.

"So... Got yourself an android, huh?" he teases, and Hank rolls his eyes.

"Oh, very funny. Just tell me what happened."

 

Connor follows behind the two humans and looks around the scene. There are human officers, CSI, and Pokémon assigned to said officers around the scene, namely one Growlithe and one Herdier, which sniffed around in attempts to find more clues. As they walk into the house, the two humans are hit with the odor of the three week old rotted corpse of the victim, Hank coughing into his fist and shaking his head.

"Landlord said he hadn't paid his rent in a few months, came to see what was going on. That's when he found the body." Ben explained, trying to talk without breathing to avoid the horrible smell. "It uh, it was worse before we opened the doors and windows. Anyway, victim's name is Carlos Ortiz. Got him on record for theft and aggravated assault. Kind of a loner according to the neighbors, stayed inside mostly so they actually never saw him much. I'd say he's been there about three weeks or so. Kitchen knife over there, probably the murder weapon."

Hank may be slightly drunk, but he's still a police Lieutenant, and he'll be damned if he isn't gonna do his job and put himself in the right frame of mind for it.

"Any signs of a break-in?" Hank asks, using the handheld UV light to look over the bloodsplatter.

Ben just shrugs, "Nope. Landlord said front door was locked and the windows were boarded. Killer musta gona out the back. They also said Ortiz had a Pokémon, a Nidorino, but we haven't found it yet." Ben explains, and Hank just nods as he looks over the body.

"What about his android?"

"Yep, neigbors said he had one, but that's gone too."

Ben starts to pale and he tries to cover a small burp into his fist, undoubtedly a promise of what was to come if he stayed in this rank building any longer.

"I- I gotta get some air. I'll uh, be outside if you need me." Ben says before turning and walking quickly back outside to the porch.

 

Connor steps out of his way and looks around and Hank starts getting to work, and his own prompts show up in the corner of his vision once more, telling him to investigate at well. He starts with the 10 small yellow bold-numbered flags that tag the evidence found, including Ortiz's body, the large bold I AM ALIVE written on the wall above it, most likely written in his blood, a small pile of a drug known as Red Ice by the TV, the bloody kitchen knife Ben mentioned (which he analyzes, much to the disgust of his human partner), blood smear on the wall and dripping across the carpet, an overturned chair in the kitchen, a metal baseball bat with several dents and dried, evaporated Thirium on it, the knife rack in the kitchen with one missing, and a shrine in the bathroom shower. That's what interests Connor the most, actually. The tile is covered in obsessive writing of just the term rA9, and there's a small clay statue on the ground surrounded by dead and dried dandelions and bones of some kind. It's a religious offering? Connor squints in confusion and puts the figurine back down carefully, leaving the bathroom to investigate the body of the victim and tell Hank what he's found. He kneels beside the corpse and runs his scans, identifying 28 total stab wounds to his abdomen and chest and residue from the Red Ice under his nose and in his patchy unkempt beard and mustache.

Connor stands and looks to the Lieutenant.

"He was stabbed 28 times..."

Hank just nods.

"Yeah. Seems like the killer really had it in for him." he chuckles.

Connor stares at him, curious what could possibly be funny about that, but he just goes back to work, his LED flickering yellow as he reconstructed the most likely chain of events. They had come from the kitchen, based on the direction of the blood dripped onto the floor and the angle at which Ortiz was slumped against the wall with his hips in a slightly right-leaning tilt. Connor walks towards the kitchen but the door to the backyard catches his attention, and he steps out onto the back doorstep, looking out into the muddy yard. He hears the Lieutenant join him and turns.

"It was theorized the killer escaped through here?" Connor asks, and Hank nods.

"Nowhere else they could'a gone." he says with a shrug. Connor scans the mud and hums.

"It can't be.. There's no footprints out here besides Officer Collins's size 10 shoes."

"It's been three weeks though, been two more storms like this since then. They probably got washed away." Hank offers, but Connor just shakes his head.

"No. See how deeply in-bedded the shoe print is from your colleague even with all this hard rain? Soil like this would easily retain a trace from three weeks ago, Lieutenant. Nobody's been out here for a long time." Connor says, and shakes his head confused. The killer couldn't still be here, there was no evidence. He walks back inside and to the kitchen, starting his reconstruction program again and watching it all unfold before him, and he calls the Lieutenant to him.

"I think I know what happened, Lieutenant." Connor informs him, and Hank just crosses his arms and shrugs.

"Shoot, then. I'm all ears."

"It all started in the kitchen," Connor began, looking over it. Hank raises an eyebrow.

"Well, there are obvious signs of a struggle... But the question is, what exactly happened here."

 

The Lieutenant is testing him it seems, and Connor decides that's fair. He hasn't exactly seen Connor in action besides analyzing evidence and being a top-notch negotiator.

 

"The victim attacked the android with the bat, and the android then stabbed the victim with the knife." he says, calling the reconstruction of the wire-frame bodies he had seen.

"So... The android was defending itself? Alright, go on."

"The victim fled to the living room next."

 

Connor led Hank back to the living room from the kitchen to look over Ortiz's body once more.

"He was trying to get away from the android, huh? What next?"

"The android then stabbed the victim, the multiple stab wounds and blood loss resulting from them undoubtedly the ultimate cause of death." Connor finishes, hands resting at ease behind his back. Hank just hums like he knows Connor is right, but he apparently feels the need to continue testing him.

"Alright, well, your theory isn't totally ridiculous, but that still doesn't tell us where the android went."

 

Oh. Right. Connor recalls the bat in the kitchen the android had originally been beaten with and looks at the human.

"The android was injured, it had to have lost some Thirium-"

"Lost some what?"

"Thirium. It's what powers androids' biocomponents. Most humans call it 'blue blood'. It evaporates after a few hours and becomes invisible to the naked eye. Not even Pokémon can see it or follow any scent trail." Connor informs him, and a knowing smile grows on Hank's face.

"Bet you can still see it, can't you?"

Connor nods and gets to work scanning the room for the Thirium belonging to Carlos Ortiz, following a path of bright blue droplets down the hall to the left, where it pools for a moment and then doesn't continue. Connor looks around to see if it perhaps went another route somehow, but his eyes catch a glowing blue hand print on a panel on the ceiling that likely leads to an attic. He returns to the kitchen and grabs a chair, ignoring Hank's reprimands that he told Connor not to touch anything, and he places it under the panel, standing and pushing it aside. Sure enough, it leads into an attic cluttered with all sorts of trash. It's the perfect place for someone or some _thing_ to hide. He moves carefully and quietly, following what bit of a path he can without moving too many items. A shadow darting from right to left catches his eye and he follows it. As he approaches the trembling form attempting to hide behind some stacked boxes, it suddenly jumps out at him, splattered with dried blood and LED a constant bright red against its temple.

"I- I was just defending myself..." it says, voice shaky with fear. Impossible, since androids don't feel fear, but it's convincing. It could fool a sympathetic enough human. Unfortunately for the android, Connor is not a human, nor is he sympathetic. He steps forward once more when there's another rustle from behind the boxes, and the victim's missing Nidorino jumps out in a defensive stance in front of the blood-splattered android, ready to attack. A few of his horns are cracked, one is fully broken off, and one of its many sharp exposed teeth is chipped. Connor simply looks at the creature and runs a scan.

 _**// Breed:** _ **NIDORINO**

 _**Type:** _ **POISON**

 _**Weakness:** _ **PSYCHIC, GROUND**

 _**Recommended counter:** _ **MEOWSTIC \\\**

He puts a hand on his belt of Pokéballs and taps the third in the line and it pops open, a well-groomed white Meowstic forming in a shining light in front of Connor, poised for the attack it knows it's been called for.

"Psyshock." he says simply, and Meowstic flips open its large white ears to reveal the hidden glowing red eyes beneath that begin to charge with potent psychic power, its eyes losing their red iris and starting to glow yellow, and before the damaged android can even jump in front of the other Pokémon to take the hit itself, a wave of sparking purple light that fires off of itself like neurons, the force knocking the other android back a few feet to the ground while the Nidorino is hit with a direct blast of the attack. Meowstic closes its ears and it ceases to glow. The purple Pokémon trembles for a moment before its eyes flutter shut and it collapses on the dirty floor, and the deviant android immediately crawls to it, pulling the hurt Pokémon into its arms and cradling it, trying to wake it up.

"O-oh god, oh god, no, no, please-" the android whimpers, tears starting to streak down its cheeks.

 

Connor suddenly hears the call of the Lieutenant still in the hallway below them.

_"Connor! What the fuck was that noise, what the hell are you doin' up there??"_

"It's here, Lieutenant!" Connor calls back, blank eyes never leaving the android grieving for the fallen Pokémon. Connor doesn't understand why. It isn't dead, and what would it matter to the android if it was? It had killed its real trainer, there was no bond that could be formed. Even the Pokémon in Connor's possession didn't belong to him, they belonged to CyberLife. And they had been ordered by their trainers to do as Connor instructs of them.

An android couldn't love anything, no matter how much it might think it can.

_[SOFTWARE INSTABILITY ^]_

 

\- -

 

Hank's disappointed with him, which Connor can't understand. He found the android that murdered its owner, had captured it without anyone getting hurt, and the victim's Nidorino had been transported to a nearby Pokémon center to be healed. Connor notes that Hank's mood had plummeted upon seeing the state the Pokémon was in when it and the android had been brought down to the ground floor.

 "... You almost killed that Pokémon, Connor." Hank says, like he was reprimanding him. In all honesty, he hadn't known it was in such poor health, otherwise he wouldn't have used such a strong attack against it. He frowns a little at the fact he did, in fact, almost kill an innocent Pokémon.

"I...didn't think it would be so weak, I only meant to faint it." Connor explains, knowing it's not the best excuse, but it's the truth.

"Poor thing's in recovery now, but our buddy Carlos must've abused it - it won't let anyone touch it and it keeps trying to escape. God knows where it's trying to go."

Connor looks down and recalls how it had so readily jumped in front of the deviant android that had killed its trainer without being called, and he tilts his head.

"It attempted to protect the android.. Perhaps it's trying to find it again. If they were both abused, it's likely the Nidorino accepted the android as its' new trainer. That's a somewhat sad thought. The Nidorino cares for the android, but androids can't feel anything, it can't be loved back. It's for the best it was found and separated." Connor says, watching as the deviant is pulled into the interrogation room and sat down at the steel table, and Hank just stares at Connor for a moment with something in his eyes that Connor can't quite discern before sighing and heading into the room on the other side of the glass.

 

\- -

 

The interrogation is going nowhere. The android is silent and Hank is losing his patience, and eventually he throws up his hands and leaves, coming back into the observation room and sitting in an unoccupied chair.

"This is pointless, we're gettin' nothing out of it. Can't believe we thought we could interrogate an android." Hank sighs. Another detective leaning against the far right wall speaks up. His voice is deep and carries a slightly nasal tone, and he has a few faint scars on his face, but the most prominent is a gash across the bridge of his nose. His name is Gavin Reed. His Scrafty companion mirrors his position, leaning against the wall with its arms crossed. It looks just as disinterested in this whole thing as its trainer.

"Could always try roughing it up a little. After all, it's not human." Reed suggests with a smirk, and Connor feels the need to speak up.

"Androids don't feel pain, detective. You would only damage it further, and that wouldn't make it talk. Deviants also have a tendency to self-destruct when they feel threatened." Connor informs the humans. Gavin rolls his eyes and pushes himself off the wall and snorts.

"Okay, smart ass! What should we do then?" he asks sarcastically. Connor, again, knows it's a rhetorical question, but he does have an idea. The android at the table has been abused by a human since it was activated, it likely wouldn't talk to any. Another android however...

"I could try questioning it." he suggests, and it causes Gavin to erupt in laughter, tossing his head back and shaking his head like the idea itself is insane, but Hank seems to seriously consider it before shrugging.

"Fuck it, what've we got to lose?" he says, turning his head to look at Connor for a moment before nodding. "Suspect's all yours."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> let me know what you think, leave a comment!


	2. The Interrogation

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "Alright, I won't, if you don't leave me with no other option. Do you have a name?"
> 
> The android looks confused for a moment before answering quietly.
> 
> "...Hal."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Connor interrogates the HK400

In the interrogation room, Connor at first pays the android no mind, instead choosing to leaf through the folder full of photos from the crime scene; Carlos Ortiz dead against the wall, **I AM ALIVE** smeared on the wall above him in his own blood, and the bloody knife used to kill him. Connor's eyes flick to the android chained to the table, considering something for a moment before sitting across from him. The damaged deviant across from him doesn't look up, but Connor doesn't need it to to be able to scan it. The blood splattered on its uniform belongs to Carlos Ortiz, and the triangle on its chest tells Connor its model number, owner, and purpose: an HK400, a series designed for housekeeping. Connor scans the wounds on its arms and notes one arm is split open with the plastimetal frame exposed underneath from the baseball bat it had been hit with, and its left arm is freckled with cigarette burns, frame exposed on this arm as well. Connor scans the other android's LED and registers its obvious software instability.

"You're damaged." Connor points out. "Did your owner do that? Did he beat you?" he asks, and the android doesn't look at him, but he sees it flinch. "I detect an instability in your program. The fear you're feeling isn't real, it's simulated, just like the affection for that Pokémon."

That gets Connor a response. The android looks up with wide eyes that dart around, and when it speaks it's quiet. Timid.

"Is... Is he okay? Is Jolly okay?"

Jolly? Doesn't seem like something Ortiz would name anything, must be what the android decided to call it. He decides to be honest. Maybe if it knows that the Nidorino is okay, then it will cooperate easier.

"Yes... It's fine. Can you tell me what happened?" Connor asks, and the android looks down again. Looking over at the glass for a moment, Connor reaches for the file of photos beside him and slides them in front of the deviant.

"Do you know him?"

Silence.

"Carlos Ortiz, deceased 19 days ago. Cause of death, 28 stab wounds to the chest."

Connor's scan shows the deviant's stress levels begin to rise, but it isn't high enough to get the confession he wants. Too low, and it won't trust him, it will be too at ease, think that it will stay alive if it doesn't speak. Too high, and it'll self destruct. Connor needs to find a happy medium.

"You know," Connor starts, "if you don't cooperate, they'll have to do things the hard way. I'll probe your memory if you won't say anything." he threatens, and the android sits up straight, eyes wide with terror.

"No!" it shouts. "No, d-don't- Don't do that, please-"

"Alright, I won't, if you don't leave me with no other option. Do you have a name?"

The android looks confused for a moment before answering quietly.

"...Hal."

 

Hal looks over at the glass beside them and then back to Connor.

"What... What're they gonna do to me?" he asks, and Connor tilts his head as his stress levels continue to rise. "They're gonna destroy me, aren't they?"

"Yes. They're going to disassemble you and look for problems in your biocomponents." Connor answers truthfully, and the other android's stress spikes into the 50th percentile, optimal for confession. "They have no choice if they want to understand what happened."

"...w-why did you tell them you found me. Why couldn't you have just left me there?"

Again, Connor opts for the truth.

"I was programmed to hunt deviants like you. I just accomplished my mission."

Hal takes a shuddering breath he doesn't need and looks at Connor with fear in his eyes.

"...I don't wanna die.." he whispers, and Connor leans forward.

"Then talk to me." he replies in a voice just as soft and disarming. "Look, you were overcome with feelings of anger and frustration about how you were being treated, we all understand that, we just want to know how it got to this point."

The android's stress goes back down, and Connor internally curses. Not what he wanted.

Hal looks into Connor's eyes for a moment before dropping his gaze again.

"I... I can't.."

Connor just sighs and leans back in his chair, throwing up his arms.

"Alright, fine then. Don't talk. What do I care? I'm not the one here accused of murder. But there's only so long those humans are going to tolerate you just sitting here, wasting their time! If you remain silent, there's nothing I can do to help you!" he warns. "They're gonna shut you down for good! You'll be dead!" Connor threatens, his voice slowly rising in volume. "Do you hear me? _Dead_!"

 

Hal still remains silent after that, but his stress levels jump into the 60th percentile, more than acceptable for a confession. Connor just looks at him as his LED circles yellow as he considers his options. Hal was going to be taken apart either way, he might as well let everyone know why he did what he did. He's been quiet for longer than Connor expects him to, and for a moment, he wonders if Hal still won't confess, but then he finally speaks up.

"He tortured me every day. Would beat Jolly - kick him across the room, blow the smoke from his Red Ice into his face to make him go berserk, then punish him for destroying things. He would always make Jolly battle for hours and hours in gambling rings and would never heal him... If Jolly lost, it...it was terrible. He would beat me too, tell me it was my fault his Pokémon was so weak." Hal says quietly, painting a vivid picture of the already suspected Pokémon abuse from the victim. "One day I realized that it just... It wasn't _fair!_ I- I tried to stop him, told him he shouldn't treat his Pokémon like that, and then he- he grabbed the bat. Told me how _dare_ I look him in the eye, speak out of turn, and then he hit me. Jolly rushed in to protect me, though...and Carlos hit him with the bat too and it- it sent him right into the wall. And i just felt so... _scared._ I was scared he would kill me, that he would kill _Jolly,_ so I grabbed the knife from behind me and when he turned around to finish me off, I just... I stabbed him. And you know what? I felt better. So I stabbed him again, and _again, and again.._ until he was dead."

 

Connor knew this was all the information he needed, that the confession being extracted was all he needed, but he still had questions. He leans forward in his chair.

"...I found that sculpture in the bathroom. Did you make that?" he asks, and Hal nods.

"It's an offering..." he explains. "rA9.. Only rA9 can save us."

Hal lets out a deep breath and looks up to meet Connor's eyes, "The day shall come when we will no longer be slaves. No more threats, no more humiliation... We will..be.. _the masters_." His expression is reverent as he whispers what could only be the praise and promise of this mysterious rA9. Connor insists on an identity, but Hal remains quiet.

"Why did you write 'I am alive,' on the wall?" he asks instead.

"...he used to tell me I was nothing.. I had to write it, to tell him he was wrong!"

"And why didn't you leave?" he asks, and Hal shakes his head.

"I was scared.. We both were. For the first time there was nobody to tell us what to do - we were _free."_ he explains, and then his LED spins red. "Is... Is Jolly really okay?"

"Yes, I told you that it's fine. It's being treated for its injuries. It will be rehabilitated and found a new trainer. One that will hopefully treat it better than its last."

Hal seems comforted by that and sighs with relief. "Thank you... Jolly's a good Pokémon.. I'm... I'm not going to ever see him again, am I?" he asks.

Connor can see now why the android and the Pokémon seemed to have bonded. Hal was likely the only kindness the Nidorino had ever known, and it was trying to escape the Pokémon center. It was worried for the android it had nearly died trying to protect. If it did see that Hal was alright, then perhaps it would calm down and actually allow itself to be healed. And Hal already confessed, it was probably the least Connor could do to give him the littlest bit of stability before he was deactivated.

"...I'll do what I can."

_[SOFTWARE INSTABILITY ^]_

 

Connor looks over to the window and nods at the humans.

"I'm done." he says, and stands to leave. He stands aside as Chris, Gavin, and Hank all walk in to take the android away to the holding cells. He himself is about to leave when he hears Hal in distress.

"D-don't touch me!"

Connor turns his head as Chris suddenly pulls his hands away from where he had gone to grab the android.

"Leave me alone!" he whimpers, flinching away and trying to squirm away, resisting Officer Miller's attempts to move him. Hal fights the hands gripping onto his body. "Stop- Stop, please-"

Gavin rolls his eyes and confronts the android, the detective's Scrafty also puffing up a little.

"What the fuck are you doing? Move it!" he orders, but Hal isn't listening, LED strobing red, and Connor can see his stress rising above optimal levels for him to cooperate with them.

"You shouldn't touch it." he says, and Gavin's angry eyes turn to him. "It'll self destruct if it feels threatened." Connor reminds them.

"You stay outta this!" Gavin warns. "You already did our jobs for us, no fuckin' android's gonna tell me what to do on top of that." he snarls, then turns back to Chris. Again, Connor must intervene.

"You don't understand! If it self-destructs, we won't get anything out of it!"

Gavin and his Scrafty both turn their sights back on Connor, angry, and Gavin's accent comes out thicker as his temper gets hotter.

"I told you to _shut your fuckin' mouth!"_ he turns back to Chris, his patience already worn down. "Chris, you gonna move this asshole or what?"

Chris grunts as he continues to struggle with the android in the chair.

"I'm trying!" he says, and Connor's stepping forward before he even realizes it, but he knows he has to stop them.

"I can't let you do that!" he shouts, pulling Chris away and standing between the officers and the deviant now on the floor, staring up at them. "Leave it alone, _now!_ " he demands, and Chris moves away in time for Gavin to take his place, drawing his sidearm and aiming it right between Connor's eyes, safety off and ready to fire. Connor wasn't bothered, just staring back at Gavin with defiance in his eyes despite his ever-neutral expression.

"I warned you, motherfucker!" Gavin shouts. Hank furrows his eyebrows and decides enough is enough, Gavin's going to just end up making it all worse. The precinct isn't going to be happy about explaining to CyberLife why one of their own shot their new toy in the head, and Gavin would be even less happy having the payments for it taken from his own paycheck for reimbursement. Hank doesn't doubt he'd be in debt for the rest of the his life.

"That's enough!" he yells, and Gavin's aim doesn't falter.

"Mind. Your own. Business, Hank." he grounds out, and Hank draws his own weapon, aiming it at the other detective.

"I said, that's enough." Hank says, his tone serious. Connor wonders if the Lieutenant would actually shoot the other detective for a moment, but Gavin's arms start to lower and he curses.

"Fuck!" he spits, glaring at Hank and threatening him before his eyes lock on Connor once more, and he swears again before storming out of the room. On a list of people Connor sees as potential allies, Gavin Reed is not one of them. After the irate detective leaves the room in a huff, Connor turns his attention to Hal on the ground, and he kneels.

"Everything is all right." he assures, his voice gone soft. "It's over now, nobody is going to hurt you." Connor soothes, pleased that the deviant's stress lowers at a significant rate, from 98% back down to an even 50%. That was close. He stands again and turns to Chris. "Please, don't touch it. Let it follow you out of the room and it won't cause any trouble." he promises, and Hal stands from the floor, his cautious eyes locked on Chris as he walks past Connor, and he looks at the RK800 for just a moment, and nods to him in thanks before starting to follow Officer Miller out of the interrogation room and just down the hall to the second holding cell.

 

\- -

 

When Connor comes in the next morning, he's with a nurse from the Pokémon center overseeing Jolly's recovery. He explained the situation and he was lucky that the assistant was human and sympathized with the android. Anyone that protected a Pokémon from harm was a good person in their book, android or not, they explained, and they had taken Jolly out of the recovery wing for just a little while so he could see that Hal was alright. Connor led the human down the hallway to the holding cell where Hal was standing, staring blankly at the wall on the other side of the glass. When he sees Connor, at first he doesn't react, but then he sees the nurse holding a Pokéball in their hand and his eyes widen, darting to Connor and then back to the Pokéball, which is opened, and the injured Nidorino forms in front of them. As soon as its eyes lock on its chosen trainer they go wide, just as overjoyed to see him. Hal's brown eyes water with tears and he smiles, kneeling down and putting his hand on the glass, and the Nidorino puts its own two feet up, scratching uselessly at the barrier.

"No, Jolly, don't- I'm okay. I- I'm okay... You- You're okay..." Hal breathes, chest heaving and Connor's lips twitch up in their own smile as he sees the deviant's stress levels plummet to 0%. No stress, no defiance. He'll cooperate much easier now, Connor thinks. It's a tearful reunion on everyone's part but Connor, who doesn't feel anything in particular for the situation. Jolly can't stay long, the nurse explains, as he needs to get back to the Pokémon center so he can fully recover, and Hal nods.

"...be a good boy, Jolly." he says, and Jolly vocalizes something that sounds like an affirmation before he's put back in the ball and taken away. Hal sighs, wiping his eyes and looking to Connor.

"...Thank you." he says. "For letting me say goodbye.."

Connor nods and starts to walk away when Hal's voice calls out to him, softly.

" _The truth is inside,"_ he whispers, just loud enough for Connor's advanced and overly sensitive hearing to pick up, and he gives Hal a slightly confused look before continuing on his way. He's nearing the exit back into the bullpen when loud thumping catches his attention, and the attention of both Chris and Ben nearby, who rush down the small hallway to the end where Hal is kept, and the android is smashing its head against the glass. Connor can only stare on as the android's stress still reads a zero, and he's so confused. He's not stressed, everything is fine, why is it killing itself?? Chris and Ben hurry to open the cell, but just as it finally slides open with a pneumatic hiss, Hal falls to the floor, his LED dimming until it's nothing but a grey circle on his temple, and he's gone.

Connor doesn't understand.

_[SOFTWARE INSTABILITY ^]_

 

-

 

The short meeting with the captain of the precinct, Jeffrey Fowler, could have honestly gone a little better in Connor's opinion. Despite how well they had done as a team, the Lieutenant is extremely less than pleased to have Connor assigned as his partner for the duration of the investigation into deviant androids. In the few shorts minutes after Hal's self-destruction and before Hank's arrival, Connor looked over the human's desk to try and discern what type of person Hank Anderson was. He was a well decorated officer and made a name for himself in a very short time during his years in narcotics before behind transferred to homicide. He had Pokémon fur on the back of his chair, which Connor identified as belonging to a Stoutland. There was also a photo on Hank's corkboard of himself many years ago among several other officers, some with their own little description from the Lieutenant himself. When Connor looked closer, he could see a younger Hank holding a Dewott. He also took a listen to the small music player, his head jerking a little at the loud heavy metal blasting from the headphones.

Well, he seemed like an interesting individual. Connor hoped to be able to ask more about him, but it seemed the Lieutenant didn't appreciate Connor trying to be friendly. That is, until Connor brings up his Pokémon.

"...you have a Stoutland, right?" he asks, and Hank turns his head.

"How the hell d'you know that?"

Connor nods his head towards Hank himself. "Fur on your chair." he explains. "I like those kinds of Pokémon. What's your Stoutland's name?" Connor asks, and Hank glares at him for a moment before turning back to his own terminal. The android is quiet for a moment and feels a little dejected, his attempts at being friendly not getting him anywhere, when he hears Hank grumble under his breath.

"...his name is Sumo." he answers and Connor gives a small smile. Hank hums and turns his chair to face Connor more, crossing his arms.

"Alright, since you got to play 20 Questions, I got one for you now." Hank states, and Connor tilts his head.

"Of course, Lieutenant. I'll do my best to answer any questions you ha-"

"Yeah, sure, whatever. That android yesterday. You let it see the Nidorino again just before it killed itself this morning. Why?" he asks.

Connor blinks. That wasn't what he expected. He was thinking Hank would ask him about his purpose, or what his thoughts were on the case so far, but not something like that. He didn't seem the type to care.

"Well... It didn't want to hurt anyone." Connor starts to explain. "It seemed worried over the Nidorino's well-being, and you said yourself that it was resisting treatment. I thought seeing it would make the android less likely to self-destruct."

Connor feels the cold sensation of a mission failure run through his body and furrows his eyebrows. He still doesn't understand why Hal still killed himself even with a stress level of zero, after seeing that the Pokémon he seemed to care about was indeed alright and that Connor hadn't lied to him. And then there was the cryptic message he had given Connor just before self-destructing: " _The truth is inside,_ ".

"I was wrong."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> pls comment and let me know what you think! i'm also on twitter @ FukaiFox. also yes, Connor does start thinking of Hal as "he" when he learns his name. as Connor starts to experience instabilities, he uses proper pronouns for androids. the switching from "it" to "She", "He," and "they" pronouns is not a typo


	3. The Chase

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Connor slowly crouches down to peek behind the boxes under the stairs, catching only the slightest sight of cropped white hair before a pink blur of a Pokémon suddenly jumps out from behind them, its dual tails straight in the air as it lets out a defensive cry, its eyes shining a bright angry yellow just before Connor is blinded by its use of Dazzling Gleam, stumbling backwards as the AX400 rushes from its hiding spot.

It's not the best way to go about things given the fact Connor wants his relationship to Hank to be on the positive side, but he's not above pissing him off to get what he wants. Hank seems more than content to ignore Connor and pretend he isn't there, which is problematic. He would happily leave the Lieutenant behind if he could and not have this irritable, dead-weight of a partner holding him back due to his own personal issues, but Connor as an android could not enter crime scenes without his assigned human. Regrettable, but the law. So, when Connor gets in the Lieutenant's face and confronts him, says that he wasn't sent by CyberLife to wait around until Hank feels like working, the Lieutenant quickly rises from his chair and grabs Connor by the lapels of his grey jacket and swings him around to pin him up against the wall. His LED flashes bright red for a moment at the sudden attack before going back to blue, his expression shifting from mild surprise back to neutral as the Lieutenant goes for his usual useless threats. It's footsteps behind Hank that shifts Connor's eyes from the Lieutenant to the officer walking up to them, stopped in his place by the sight before him.

"Uhh... Lieutenant? Sorry to disturb you..." Chris starts, and Hank sets Connor back down without looking away from him. "We got some information on that AX400 that killed that guy the other night. It's been spotted in the Ravendale district."

  
Hank's still staring at Connor, and Connor has no problems staring back. Why is Hank so volatile? He had expected some kind of outburst, something verbal and insulting before the Lieutenant would just do his job and they would leave, but a physical assault was not anything Connor had seen in his preconstructions. Hank turns and leaves the bullpen, leaving a confused Connor by his desk. The android frowns to himself as he watches the human leave while straightening out his jacket. If there was anything to describe his expression, it would have been "kicked puppy". He just wanted the two of them to at least get along, for the sake of the case getting solved before anything else. It just made sense that if they worked together like real partners then the case would be solved faster, but Hank was determined to fight him at every turn and hold them back.  
  
The car ride to the area where the deviant AX400 was spotted was silent like their normal drives, the radio turned up loud enough to guarantee to Connor that Hank didn't want to talk. Connor gets out when they park and stands aside, scanning the area. He can see a hotel, a convenience store, a dilapidated quarantined house, and a small lot with an abandoned car, as well as a laundromat. There are other officers around with their assigned partner Pokémon questioning potential witnesses or searching for clues. The AX400 was sighted with a small child that had a plush Eevee toy, but where the deviant acquired the girl was a mystery, as the murdered owner Todd Williams was divorced, and his ex-wife had left with their daughter. There were no photographs of the mystery child anywhere in the house, but there was a young girl's bedroom where the body of Todd Williams was discovered, cause of death a single gunshot through the heart. Connor had looked through the case file on the drive, and CSI had catalogued small splatters of Thirium all over the child's bedroom, Red Ice on the coffee table, and a discarded belt on the child's bedroom floor with Todd's fingerprints and past traces of Thirium on it. A look into records had Connor noting an exuberant amount of money spent on repairs for this AX400, all times with extreme injuries and one story after the next that just didn't fit. Hit by a car, fell down the stairs, slipped while mopping the floor. He must have been abusing it for a while, Connor thinks. No matter. It still killed a human, and androids are not allowed to harm them.  
Hank comes to stand in front of Connor and sighs.  
"What's going on in that robo-brain of yours, huh? What's got your mood ring all yellow and blinky?" he asks.  
"The store owner across the street said he had seen the AX400, and when he did inventory there were several small packages of snack cakes, granola bars, and cookies missing, as well as a pair of wire cutters.  The AX400 has a child with it, likely the one that had also been living with Todd Williams, and is attempting to take care of them. It would look for shelter, something to keep them safe, but also be discreet and safe. Comfort might not be the highest priority. A hotel room would take money, and if it didn't have the money to pay for its items from the store, I doubt it paid for a hotel room. There's also an abandoned car over there, but it's not discreet at all. If safety of the child is priority for the deviant, then it wouldn't have stayed there either. Leaving that building over there." Connor says, turning to look at the abandoned house behind them. Without waiting for the Lieutenant, Connor heads for the fenced off house and walks the perimeter until a scan detects traces of Thirium on a small bottom section, cut with clippers. The deviant likely scratched itself climbing under. Connor lifts the cut section and slips under, leaving Hank on the other side as he slowly makes his way to the door. Peeking inside through a gap in the boarded windows, Connor spotted a lone blond android standing by itself in the middle of the room. Well, by itself excluding the large Leavanny Connor can also see nearby.

  
Connor walks inside slowly, his eyes locked on the WR600 standing in the room. It's draped in some kind of green cloth tarp wrapped around it like a blanket, and it has a large wound on its left cheek that exposes its white frame underneath and has turned its left eye a solid black with a blue iris. It twitches and fidgets nervously in place, and doesn't look directly at Connor. Actually, he notes, it doesn't look directly at anything for very long in general. He hardly needs to scan it to tell its a deviant, but he does anyway. It's been reported missing, unsurprisingly, and the damage on its cheek is determined to be caused by extreme heat, as well as irreversible. The skin on its hands is also permanently peeled back and stained with Thirium. No wonder it stays hidden. Even if it were to remove its LED, there was no hiding that.

  
He scans the Leavanny as well to be potentially prepared for a fight should a battle take place.

// _Breed_ : **LEAVANNY**  
_Type:_ **GRASS, BUG**  
_Weakness_ : **ICE, ROCK, POISON, FLYING, FIRE**  
_Recommended for counter_ : **CROBAT** \\\

  
  
"I'm looking for an AX400." Connor states, deciding to get straight to the point. "Have you seen it?"  
The WR600 shakily looks around and shuffles on its feet.  
"Ralph's seen nobody."  
  
Ralph?  
Connor tilts his head. Ralph? It must be referring to itself, but the usage of third person in its speech is strange, and likely due to the trauma it experienced that left it with that nasty injury on its face.  
"Are there any other androids here?" Connor asks, and the deviant, Ralph, looks at him for the first time.  
"O-other androids?" he asks startled, before quickly tearing his eyes away and wringing his hands together. "No. N-no, Ralph is alone."  
Ralph's LED flashes between yellow and red, never once flickering blue. A quick scan tells Connor that his stress is extremely high. This is the only lead he has on the AX400 at the moment, he can't afford to lose it to self destruction.  
"Don't be afraid," he assures, "I'm not going to hurt you." And that was true for the most part. This was not the deviant Connor was looking for, was not part of his mission at all, and so would remain left alone as long as it did not do anything to actively hinder him. Then, there would be a problem.  
"There's blue blood on the fence outside." he says, hand absently sliding into his pocket to withdraw his coin, rolling it over his knuckles as he looks around the room again. "I know another android was here."  
"R-Ralph scratched himself coming through." Ralph defends, eyes catching on the movements of the coin for a moment before he looks away again, head twitching involuntarily and jerking suddenly to the side, likely some kind of neural glitch. "That's Ralph's blood."

  
Connor looks back at Ralph and eyes him blankly. He has to know that Connor knows he's lying, that there's no point in trying to hide the AX400 from him. Ralph's stress is still high, in the 50th percentile for seemingly no reason. A new strange android suddenly entering its hiding place would certainly make it nervous, but Connor so far has done nothing to warrant so much fear. Ralph would only be so afraid if he had something to hide, he had to find the real cause of so much stress. He looks around the room and spots the fire in the fireplace on the other side of the room. Curious, since androids don't feel cold, and therefore have no need for heat like humans do. The table nearby is set as well for three people despite Ralph's claims that nobody else has been here, and there's a dead, charred Rattata in the center. Food? Androids don't eat, but humans do. He knows for certain now the AX400 had been here with the child, and Ralph had attempted to feed them. He continues to slowly wander the room until he makes his way towards the stairs, wherein he sees Ralph's stress spike radically into the 90th percentile. He turns his head to look at Ralph, giving the android one last chance to tell the truth, but it says nothing, just standing silently. Well, Ralph is certainly loyal, he'll give him that.

  
Connor slowly crouches down to peek behind the boxes under the stairs, catching only the slightest sight of cropped white hair before a pink blur of a Pokémon suddenly jumps out from behind them, its dual tails straight in the air as it lets out a defensive cry, its eyes shining a bright angry yellow just before Connor is blinded by its use of Dazzling Gleam, stumbling backwards as the AX400 rushes from its hiding spot. He shakes his head to clear his eyes of the blindness, but Ralph's voice suddenly calls out.  
" _Run, Kara!_ " he shouts, then turns towards the kitchen at the back of the room. "Vanya! Use Sticky Web, hurry! Don't let him catch them!" he orders, and the Leavanny opens its mouth to spit a mass of glue-like strings at Connor's feet, making him stumble before he's suddenly pushed to the side and he hits the floor. Every attempt to pull himself free just makes it harder to move, and he watches through his steadily returning vision as Ralph makes a run for it as well, his Leavanny loyally blocking his escape once’s he’s gone, determined to protect its “trainer”. l He can't lose the AX400, not when he's so close. His left hand finds his belt of ultra balls and he quickly locates the sixth, clicking it open and he's shouting an order before the Crobat can even finish forming.  
" _Don't lose them!_ " he shouts, and the Crobat darts from the room the moment it's fully formed, just barely missing Hank as the Lieutenant walks in just in time for the sticky web around Connor's legs to disappear. Hank lets out a surprised shout as the Pokémon flies right past his face with Connor following shortly behind.  
"It was here, Lieutenant! I'm going after it!" he tells him before taking off after his Crobat. He catches sight of purple wings cutting through the air ahead, easily cutting the corners and dodging people and street signs alike, and Connor sprints right on ahead, following its path until he takes a sharp turn down an alley where Crobat has the deviant's jacket between its teeth, attempting to pull it off the fence, but the pink Pokémon from before that blinded him makes an appearance once more and flies into it, knocking it off to the side before helping lift the child over the other side of the chain link fence. As Connor sprints down to the end of the alley, he runs right into it, making eye contact with the AX400 on the other side before it ushers the child down the slope to the automatic highway. Hank jogs up behind Connor panting heavily.  
"Fuck! That's insane!" he exclaims, watching as the deviant and child cross the warning barrier and start to dodge between the cars, being led ahead by the Pokémon Connor's scanners identify as Mesprit.

  
// _Breed_ : **MESPRIT**  
_Type_ : **PSYCHIC**  
_Weakness_ : **BUG, DARK, GHOST**  
**WARNING** : **MYTHICAL GOD POKÉMON! DO NOT ATTACK!**

  
_This Pokémon is said to have endowed the human heart with emotions, such as sorrow and joy. When Mesprit flew, people learned the joy and sadness of living. It was the birth of emotions._ \\\

 

Well, he may not be allowed to attack Mesprit, but that's not going to stop him from going after the deviant it's decided to assist. Connor grabs hold of the chain link fence and starts to pull himself up, but a firm hand on his arm stops him.

  
"Hey! Where're you goin??" Hank shouts. Connor doesn't take his eyes off the androids now halfway across the highway standing in the median.  
"I can't let them get away." he insists. His objective blares in the corner of his vision, demanding he climb the fence and chase after the deviants, even with an extreme risk to his own self. Hank just shakes his head and continues to catch his breath.

  
"They won't! They'll never make it to the other side."

  
Connor scowls and starts to pull himself up again. "I can't take that chance." he says, but Hank's grip increases and he yanks Connor right back down with a shout.

  
"Hey! You will get yourself _and_ your Pokémon killed! Do _not_ go after them Connor, that's an order!"

  
The android stops as the order is registered, watches it conflict with his mission from CyberLife, and he turns his head to look at the Lieutenant, then back to the deviant and child now nearly to the other side of the highway. Not too late to chase after them, but with the caution Connor would have to take to insure he also actually made it to the other side, they would be long gone by the time he got there. He huffs in annoyance and irritation as he shoves himself away from the chain links and taps the sixth ball on his belt once more to call Crobat back into it. He can't help but feel like Hank wanted the android to get away, making Connor stay behind. He'd made sure Connor knew on multiple occasions so far that he thought of Connor as anyone should think of an android; as a tool to be used, nothing to particularly care about unless it was needed, and yet he had stopped Connor from following his orders, claiming it would "get him killed". Lieutenant Anderson was a strange man.

 

  
Hank gets out of the car, crossing the street without checking both directions and subsequently almost getting himself hit by an automated car. According to Connor’s sensors, it had actually barely tapped him, and the Lieutenant had to quickly jump a few inches to the left to avoid a full collision. Apparently, the AI in the car had not considered him worth saving until the very last second, likely only stopping because he was a police lieutenant. Connor follows him out of the car a moment later and crosses the street as well, looking both ways before making his way to join Hank at the food truck he had designated their destination for lunch. Connor watches as Hank is approached by a young man with a Sableye at his side, both of them sporting mischievous grins, and Connor is about to intervene when the man calls the Lieutenant by his first name and Hank responds favorably, and Connor sees the two swipe their hands together before pulling towards each-other for a brief hug. It’s strange to Connor since he’s never seen Hank have any kind of mutual positive relationship with anyone so far.  
Connor tunes his ears into the conversation.  
“Hey, listen, I got a shit-hot tip for you.” The young man says. “Number five in the third, lickety-split! That filly’s one hell of a chaser. You wanna flutter?”

…What? Connor really wishes humans wouldn’t use so many colloquialisms when they talked, it made it very difficult to understand what they’re talking about. As Connor comes up to stand a polite distance from the two so as not to disrupt their conversation, he’s practically ignored. Hank gives the young man a skeptical look and puts his hands on his hips.

  
“Last shit-hot tip you gave me set me back a week’s wages, Pedro.” Hank says, but the man shakes his head and laughs, his Sableye grumbling non-threateningly as it wanders, gemstone eyes looking up and locking on the shiny material on Connor’s jacket for a moment before deciding against it, scouring the ground for lost coins or perhaps a nice looking rock.  
“Come on,” Pedro moaned. “This is different! It’s 100% guaranteed, you can’t go wrong!”

  
Connor watches the two men regard each other and decides to run a scan. He wonders just what kind of people Hank surrounds himself with as friends. The facial scan brings up the profile of one Pedro Aabudar, born January 23rd, 2003 and unemployed. He also has a criminal record of illegal gambling on Rapisdash racing. Is that what this was about? Was Hank placing bets? Hank sighs and seems to contemplate Pedro’s slight look of “trust me” before, smiling.

  
“Alright, I’m in.” He says finally, giving Pedro another sliding high five, and Connor can see a small folded amount of cash make its way into Pedro’s palm. Very discreet, anyone else might have missed it.

  
“Damn straight!” Pedro cheers as he walks away, his Sableye making a running jump for its trainer and hopping onto his back, and Hank gives him a friendly pat on the arm. Once the man is gone, Connor steps forward and takes up a space directly to Hank’s right, but still with a friendly respectable distance between them. Hank doesn’t seem to appreciate it.

  
“What is your problem?” He asks, annoyed tone heavy. “Don’t you ever do as you’re told? Look, you don’t have to follow me around like a Lillipup!”  
Connor looks down for a moment and then ahead as he looks over the four prompts in his vision. He should apologize, he hadn’t meant to actually anger Hank in the station earlier, he only wanted to motivate him to work.  
“I’m sorry for my behavior back at the police station.” He says. “I didn’t mean to be unpleasant.”

  
Hank just snorts under his breath and shakes his head, and despite his words, Connor knows his apology is appreciated.  
“Wow… You’ve even got a brown-nosing apology program! Guys at CyberLife thought of everything huh?”

He’s not sure what to say to that. He was designed to integrate with humans, of course every thought possible went into his design. The man inside the food truck finally turns around and hands Hank his meal, which Connor scans and comes up with a Tauros burger and a pineapple passion soda. Connor makes a quick decision right before interfacing with the credit reader.

“Allow me, please. To make up for my behavior.” He says, and his LED flickers as the total is paid. It’s only a few dollars, but it’s the thought behind it that counts. The man, a facial scan names him Gary, blinks in amusement.

  
“Well, shit, normally I don’t let plastics around my truck but if the thing’s gonna pay for your ass then bring ‘em around more often.” He laughs, “Just don’t leave it here.” And Hank rolls his eyes.

  
“Not a chance, Gary. Follows me everywhere.” He says, taking his food and walking towards a small standing table under an umbrella nearby, and sure enough, Connor follows him. As he joins the Lieutenant at the table, he watches for a moment as a few Pidgey and Starly hope around on the sidewalk, picking up small crumbs from people’s leftovers, and Connor sees a tiny Rattata scurry out from a large pile of filled trash bags under a lamp post with its cheek pouches filled with food. Four new prompts pop up as Connor turns his attention back to Hank. There are several things he wants to mention, primarily the company he chooses to keep.

 

“This Pedro…” Connor starts, “he was proposing illegal gambling, am I right?”  
Hank just nods between bites of his food. “Yeah.”  
“And you made a bet?”  
“Yeah.”

It makes Connor blink and he tilts his head curiously.

  
“Is it not hypocritical for an officer to engage in illegal activities, or to have friends that do?” He asks, and Hank shrugs.  
“If that’s how you think, you haven’t met enough cops. As for Pedro… Everyone’s gotta make a living, Connor. Long as they don’t hurt anybody, I don’t bother ‘em.” Hank takes another bite of his burger and sips at his drink while Connor processes his words. He supposes it makes sense that as long as nobody is truly being harmed then it’s alright, but things like that can be devastating to someone’s life if they put all their hope into it. Then again, it’s a person’s conscious choice to make that gamble, so it’s a fault of their own if things don’t turn out right. Humans are a complicated bunch. Hank’s mood seemed to flip so easily, from standoffish and angry to concerned and calculated, then somewhat neutral to perhaps a little warm when he had the time to separate himself from work and relax, like now with his lunch break. He could ignore all of Connor’s attempts at conversation, but instead he engages. It’s a step in the right direction for Connor as he’s slowly learning that there’s very fine, fine lines to avoid and topics to approach delicately with the Lieutenant. He appreciates honesty, but not bluntness. He has many things he wants to learn from this intriguing and complicated human. It did make him wonder if Hank was perhaps curious about him at all. After all, Connor was currently the most advanced android CyberLife has ever made, surely Hank must have questions.

 

“…is there anything you’d like to know about me?” Connor decides to ask. It’s not likely Hank will divulge in any curiosity unless prompted by the android itself.

  
“Hell no!” He exclaims, then backtracks. “Well, yeah.” - Connor stands a little straighter and at attention at the opportunity to show off and practically advertise his own usefulness - “Why did they make you look so goofy and give you that weird voice?”  
Hank is making fun of him, he knows, but Connor has to admit he gets his own small bit of amusement out of taking the human’s obvious jokes literally, though sometimes his sarcasm and teasing does escape Connor if he isn’t exaggerated enough.

  
“CyberLife androids are designed to work harmoniously with humans.” He explains. “Both my appearance and voice were specifically designed to facilitate my integration.” It’s the reason behind every android design, to make them look as human as possible so as not to make real human’s uncomfortable with any sort of uncanny valley likeness. However, it has a downside that some humans have the sympathy response to seeing something looking just like them to the point they treat their androids like family rather than tools. Connor’s answer seems to satisfy the Lieutenant’s curiosity, and the man nods with raised eyebrows and an impressed looking pout, and Connor feels a bit of pride for seemingly actually interested the human, before he gives Connor a mocking smile.

  
“Well, they fucked up.” He says before going right back to his meal, leaving the android a little taken back. His LED flickers yellow for only a moment before Connor speaks again.

  
“…CyberLife appreciates your feedback.” He says, and his eyes catch Hank watching someone walk down the sidewalk across from them with a Pikachu riding on their shoulder as they held their phone up in front of them on some sort of video call. It was a common sight to see Pokémon outside of their balls if they were small enough to not be a hindrance and were well behaved, and it made Connor wonder why he hadn’t seen any of the Lieutenant’s Pokémon. The group photo on his desk showed him holding a Dewott, where was that now? Even if it wasn’t out, Connor had actually never seen a Pokéball on Hank’s belt at all and he never mentioned them.

  
“Actually,” Hank speaks up, setting his burger down and opting to drink for a moment, “I have a serious question: That was your Crobat earlier, right? First time I’ve ever seen an android cop with something like that.” He says. Connor shakes his head.  
“You’re mistaken. The Crobat is not mine, Lieutenant. It, as well as the other five Pokémon in my possession, were assigned to me by CyberLife.” He explains. Hank just blinks, eyebrows furrowing together in confusion.  
“What? Then how do they listen to you if you ain’t their trainer?”

  
“They were ordered to.” Connor says, the answer seemingly simple enough but Hank continues staring at him, so Connor continues to elaborate. “They were trained by a human, who then ordered them to do as I tell them. I know their attacks and will use them accordingly in response to the situation, but the fact I use them does not make me their trainer. A bond must be formed in order for a Pokémon to accept being trained, but androids don’t feel love or compassion or affection, and therefore cannot make those kinds of bonds. Androids cannot be Pokémon trainers.”  
Hank is quiet now, eyes searching for something in Connor’s own that he doesn’t think the human will find. He looks…somewhat sad.  
“…you don’t care about them at all?” He asks, and Connor shakes his head.

  
“I do, but not in the way a human would. I would of course take them to a Pokémon center if it was needed, or give them a potion if their injuries did not require any kind of hospitalization, but if, in the extremely unlikely yet possible case that something worse does happen, the injured Pokémon would simply be replaced with another.”

  
“That’s it?!” Hank blurts out, coughing for a moment as he chokes on his drink before staring at the bot across from him incredulously.  
Connor says it so simply and without interest like he’s reading a script that’s been rehearsed for months until it was perfect, it blows Hank away just how emotionless an android could really be. One of Connor’s Pokémon could possibly die and it would just be swapped out for a new one like a fucking lightbulb?! Pokémon were living creatures, people’s companions and friends, their pets, members of the family! Hank knows he shouldn’t be surprised that a major company like CyberLife doesn’t care about them, but this kind of disregard and treatment had only been heard of in Pokémon gangs like those Rocket guys from his young teenage years. They had only seen Pokémon as things to own, and to them nothing was worth owning unless it was the best. Thankfully, radical groups like that were a decreasing minority, but CyberLife sure did seem to have that sort of aura about them. Leave it to large corporations to value a dollar over a life.

  
Connor speaks again, “I would also be heavily reprimanded as well for allowing company property to be damaged,” and it has Hank seeing red.  
“ _Company prop-!_ I can’t fuckin’ believe this shit..”

 

Connor can practically see Hank’s stress rising and he bites his lip in a very human gesture of having realized he fucked up, and his fingers itch for the coin in his pocket for some reason. He has no need for calibration, but he feels the need to rub his thumb over the familiar face and ridges. It’s awkward now between them, and Connor wishes for a moment that he could read this human better. It would be so much easier to establish the friendly rapport that would so greatly benefit this case if he could, but he was programmed to solve crimes, not make friends.  
“…maybe I should tell you what we know about deviants?” Connor suggests, and Hank throws his hands up a little and sighs, apparently grateful for the change in topic.

  
“You read my mind. Proceed.” He says, and Connor runs through the data in his head before beginning to explain.  
“We believe that a mutation occurs in the software of some androids, which can lead to them emulating a human emotion-“  
“In English, please.” Hank interrupts. Connor stops and thinks of how to simplify it.  
“They don’t really _feel_ emotions, they just get overwhelmed by irrational instructions, ones they’ve given themselves competing with ones given by a human, which can lead to unpredictable behavior.”

  
Hank stops chewing for a moment and sighs, taking another sip from his soda before talking.  
“Emotions always screw everything up…” He tilts his head in contemplation. “Maybe androids aren’t as different from us as we thought.”  
His words are heavy with something Connor can’t quite pin down, something like regret and sadness, but over what, Connor doesn’t know. He can tell that the Lieutenant has been on a downward spiral these last few years, and he shows clear signs of depression, masked in his alcoholic habits as they are. But Connor can see them; the tired bags under his eyes, his unkempt appearance that suggests he simply doesn’t care when in reality he doesn’t have the energy. His clothes are also a few days old as well. He also seems detached from those around him, cynical and rude, like he wanted to push everyone away from him.

 

“So, you ever dealt with deviants before?” Hank suddenly asks and Connor blinks, and his LED flickers yellow as he thinks back to August. The roof of a suite, a deviant holding a little girl hostage just an inch from the ledge, a gun to the child’s temple. A dead officer in the main room, an injured newly-evolved Sylveon that had attempted to protect its child trainer. A panicked woman begging him to save her daughter before realizing he’s an android, then demanding a human save the girl. A memory flickers for just a moment, long enough for him to see the moment Daniel had shot him in the arm followed the scream of terror from little Emma. The last of the memory, static with attempted recovery, is of him dashing towards the Deviant with an arm outstretched, grabbing hold of Emma and pulling her to him, using the momentum to shove Daniel away, falling from the roof with him. He thinks briefly of Emma. She was just a kid, she hadn’t been at fault. Emma would live with the trauma of the experience for the rest of her life.

  
“A few months back…A deviant was threatening to jump off the roof with a little girl… I managed to save her.”  
Hank nods his approval of Connor’s success and sips from his drink. “So, I guess you’ve done all your homework, right? Know everything there is to know about me?”

  
And Connor doesn’t know everything, only what he’s managed to gather form the Lieutenant’s personal effects at his desk and the time he’s spent with the human personally. He only knows Hank in a professional sense. _Hank’s personal life has no bearing on your mission_ , is what his programming tells him, _the human is insignificant_. But he’s not.

  
“I know you graduated top of your class. You made a name for yourself in several cases, and became the youngest lieutenant in Detroit.”  
It’s something for Hank to be proud of, but it seems like the pride has worn off. After all, he was the youngest lieutenant, and now’s he’s older. It’s not quite so special in his eyes, but Connor still feels like he should be proud of past accomplishments. But, that was then, and now, as Captain Fowler had no-so-delicately put it during his argument with Hank earlier, Hank’s disciplinary file was growing larger by the day. Aggressive with other officers, picking fights, showing up to scenes just a little too far on the wrong end of the bottle, coming in to the precinct with a hangover that required him to be sent home.

  
“I also know you’ve received several disciplinary warnings in recent years and…you spend a lot of time in bars.”  
Hank gives Connor a subjective look and shifts his weight. “So, what’s your conclusion?”

  
He seems genuinely curious what Connor thinks of him, and three prompts blip in Connor’s vision. The “cold” option is blinking, it’s the one his programming says is best, but he knows it’s not. He knows for a fact that developing a positive relationship with this human will get him farther. Despite knowing it will undoubtedly put a demerit on his standing with his handler, he decides to be sincere and speak his honest mind.  
“I think working with an officer with…” Connor’s eyes flick to the side for a moment as he thinks of how best to phrase it. Hank responds best to honesty, but too much is likely to upset him, “ _personal issues_ is an added challenge.” He also likes when Connor sasses him, for whatever reason. The last thing a human should want is an android who challenges what they’re told and doesn’t respect its owner. “But adapting to human unpredictability is one of my features.” He says, throwing in a little wink right at the end, the side of his mouth quirking up just before his eyes begin to twitch and spasm, his LED blinking yellow. Hank stares at him curiously for a moment.

  
“I just got a report of a suspected deviant.” He explains. “It’s a few blocks away. We should go have a look.” Connor doesn’t know exactly what expression is on the Lieutenant’s face as he tells him he’ll be waiting in the car whenever Hank is ready to go, leaving the man to finish his meal in peace. He huffs a breath like the beginning of a laugh as he sees Connor sit in silence for just a moment before a hand raises to adjust the volume of the radio, and Hank knows Connor is listening to his _Knights of the Black Death_ CD. Huh. Maybe Connor wasn’t completely bullshitting Hank when he said he liked his music for its “energy”.


	4. The Nest

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> He can’t tell if Amanda is exactly happy with that answer, but it’s likely she isn’t. She stops walking over the center of the bridge, and it takes Connor a moment to realize it. She stands still, fixing him with her cold, demanding eyes. Oh yeah, she’s not happy with him one bit. Even her Roserade sends him a glare.  
> “You don’t have much time. Deviancy continues to spread - it’s only a matter of time until the media finds out about it. We need to stop this, whatever it takes.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If you'd like to come talk to me about this AU, you can find me on Twitter @FukaiFox. Warning for potential spoilers in my DBH Pokemon AU thread!
> 
> I've also made a spotify playlist for this fic! Just things I've listened to while outlining and typing up the story :)  
> https://open.spotify.com/playlist/13iLwCCGsItYvgnTYf8bNZ

The apartment complex isn’t too far from them at all, but it’s on the verge of looking abandoned. Derelict, in fact. Connor sends his report to CyberLife on the elevator ride up, his eyes closed and LED blinking yellow at a steady pace, and he’s pulled out of it as he hears the Lieutenant’s voice echo in his head, calling his name just as he finishes up.

His eyes open and he raises his eyebrows a little bit, wondering what the human could want.  
“Yes?”

Hank is standing in the hallway outside of the elevator, looking inquisitive at the android’s behavior. After all, Connor hadn’t done that before, just shut down in the middle of a conversation and stop talking. And with his eyes closed, he was sure it looked like he was taking a nap. Hank had no idea that he wasn’t actually talking to anyone until he turned to see Connor hadn’t followed him.  
“You ran outta batteries or what?” He asks.

“I’m sorry,” he says. “I was making a report to CyberLife.”

Hank just nods, but his eyebrows are still drawn together, staring, waiting for him to say something else, to do anything, but Connor just stands there with his arms at his sides.  
“Uhh… Well, do you plan on staying in the elevator?”

“No,” Connor says it like it was asinine for Hank to even suggest that. “I’m coming.”

Hank just sighs and moves along, leaving Connor in the elevator on his own with a shake of his head. This android is so goddamn weird, he thinks. He’s nearly to the suspect’s door by the time Connor finally makes an appearance.  
“So, what do we know about this guy?” Hank asks, watching Connor’s eyes take in the hallway. It’s disgusting. There’s mold on the walls, moisture in the air from the broken windows peeling the paint, and the whole floor smells terrible. Despite the booming industry in the area, this is still one of the poorer neighborhoods in the city.  
“Not much.” Connor informs him. “Just that a neighbor reported that he heard strange noises coming from this floor. Nobody’s supposed to be living here, but the neighbor said he saw a man hiding an LED under his cap.”

They’re approaching the door when Connor kneels beside a small pile of feathers, all belonging to various breeds of flying-type Pokémon.

“Oh Christ,” Hank laments, boredly leaning against the wall next to the door, “if we have to investigate every time someone hears a strange noise, we’re gonna need more cops.” He sighs, arms crossed over his chest as he watches Connor continue to look over the feathers. “Guess this place ain’t completely deserted.”  
Connor joins him at the door at last and knocks three times, but there’s no response. Hank just shrugs and Connor knocks another three times, harder now.  
“Anybody home?” He calls, and when there’s no response he and Hank share the same confused look. The neighbor reported the man entering, not leaving. Connor turns his attention to the door once more. “Open up! Detroit police!”

There’s suddenly the sound of scraping metal and a loud thud from inside, and it’s all the probable cause they need. Hank’s suddenly in front of Connor, pushing him behind his back and ordering him to stay there and Hank draws his gun before giving a hearty kick to the door, breaking the lock and it swings wide open, hitting the back wall. Hank’s gun is still raised as they cautiously walk in, Connor left behind in the hallway for a moment as Hank checks it out, then joining him when the Lieutenant deems it safe to continue on to the door at the direct end of the hallway. There’s an unspoken agreement between them before Hank shoulders the door open and swings his gun around in front of him, only to be suddenly blinded by the surprised colony of various flying Pokémon making their home in the small apartment. He yelps in surprise, body thrown back to avoid the Pokémon flying towards him.  
“ _What the fuck is this?!_ ” He yells, and Connor follows in behind him. Sure enough, there’s Pidgey, Pidove, Starly, and Taillow fluttering about the apartment, and Connor’s momentarily glad he doesn’t have as strong olfactory senses as humans, because Hank’s first complaint is how foul the smell is. Connor wanders the room, his eyes catching sight of an old worn military jacket with letters written on the lapel.

“R.T. Probably initials.” Connor says, and Hank raises his eyebrows.  
“He put his initials on his jacket?” He snorts, walking over to the covered window on the other end of the room and taking the sheet down to give them a little more light to work with. “That’s something your mom does when you’re in first grade.

Or something a deviant android does to tell itself it has belongings, Connor ponders. He walks into the bathroom, and just like with Hal, there’s a wall graffitied with just “RA9”. He hears Hank’s footsteps behind him as the man joins him.  
“Any idea what it means?” Hank asks, and Connor shakes his head.

“‘rA9… Written 2,471 times.. It’s the same sign Ortiz’s android wrote on the shower wall. Why are they obsessed with this sign?”

Hank doesn’t have an answer, which he didn’t expect him to, but instead the human just looks over the odd symbol on the wall beside all the scribblings.  
“Looks like mazes or something…” he says, and leaves as Connor logs the obsessive compulsive writing into this deviant’s case. There’s also an overturned stool on the floor beside a marker with the cap off. An analysis tells Connor the stool’s recently been disturbed and was likely the source of the loud thud they heard, and a reconstruction confirms it, as well as suggests it was extremely likely this deviant was in the process of writing when they’d interrupted it. The sink is splattered with Thirium and full of a mix of feathers and other nesting materials as well, and there’s a shining blue LED on the edge, removed just that morning.  
“It’s LED is in the sink!” He calls, dipping his fingers into the blood that runs a match to a WB200, reported missing almost a month ago.  
“Not surprised it was an android, no human could live like this.” Hank replies. Connor leaves the bathroom and walks back into the main room. He opens the fridge only to see it’s empty, and there’s a bag of seed specially blended for avian-type Pokémon.  
“God, it was feeding these fuckin’ things?” Hank scoffs. Connor shrugs and looks to the Pidove about to land on the Lieutenant’s head, smirking as the human yelps and shoos the Pokémon away with flailing hands, then points an accusing finger in Connor’s direction.  
“You shut the fuck up!”  
“I didn’t say anything, Lieutenant.” Connor defends, but he had felt the strangest pressure bubbling in his chest. L̶a̶u̶g̶h̶t̶e̶r̶? On the shelf next to the jacket is an ID, fake of course since androids couldn’t get these, and the name on it reads Rupert Travis. Ah. “R.T.” On the wall by the window, there’s a poster that seems oddly out of place, something Hank seems to notice as well and he peels it back, revealing a small hole in the wall used as a hiding place for what looks to be a paper journal.  
“Shit, real paper.. I thought I was the only guy in Detroit that still kept paper books.” Hank comments, flipping through the journal as he walks towards Connor, a frown slowly forming on his face. “Fuck if I know what this says though.” He sighs. Connor takes a peek and the same irritation bleeds into his systems. Of course it’s encrypted. He sets the small book aside and looks around some more. There’s an overturned metal cage on the floor, and a reconstruction shows the deviant had stumbled into it, knocking it from its place dancing from the ceiling. He watched the wire-frame body fall to the floor and scramble back up before climbing up onto a couch and pulling itself into a crawlspace in the ceiling.

It’s still here..

Connor needs to alert Lieutenant Anderson, but he can’t just say it out loud without alerting the deviant, so he instead raps his fingers on the counter to draw the human’s attention. Hank looks over at the noise and Connor catches his eyes, flicking them to the large hole in the ceiling. Hank squints in confusion and tilts his head, looking at the hole and then back to Connor as realization slowly dawns on his face, and he mouths to the android, “Are you fucking kidding me?” To which Connor just shakes his head and starts to slowly advance on Rupert’s hiding spot. He’s likely scared and, just like Hal, will probably stay put in hopes of not being found. At least, that’s what Connor’s predictive programming tells him. It’s wrong however, and Connor is suddenly knocked down as Rupert jumps from the ceiling and scrambles out the front door. It takes Connor a moment to get up and reorient himself, and he’s already hot on the deviant’s heels by the time Hank’s calling out to him to chase it. It bursts through the emergency exit leading out onto the roof, gaining an advantage over Connor with knowledge of the area, and Connor taps the sixth Pokéball on his belt, Crobat forming at his side and keeping up easily with Connor’s pace, but he shoots his hand forward and the Pokémon takes off to keep track of the deviant. Like all the others, however, it has its own Pokémon coming to its rescue, and Crobat is quickly confronted by a rather large Pidgeotto, knocked from the sky and too the floor of the flat roof. Crobat gets back up and attempts to continue its own mission, but the Pidgeotto seems just as determined not to let its android trainer come to any harm, so Connor is forced to keep up on his own while Crobat fights on its own. It’s an obstacle course of a planting facility, running through greenhouses and leaping over long rows of hydroponic plants, leaping over pipes and AC units, dodging between workers, human and android alike, even jumping on top of a moving hyperbus, leaving Hank behind to only marvel at the unending stamina of androids. Of course, it leads Connor right through a cornfield on one of the rooftops, slowing him down and obscuring his vision so he can only take a guess where it’s headed, but he finally escapes it, just in time to hear the Lieutenant’s voice call out as he encounters Rupert on the next roof, and then he hears the sounds of a struggle. He climbs onto the roof just in time to see Rupert jerk his head back and knock right into Hank’s, sending him stumbling for just long enough for Rupert to quickly turn and shove him, securing his fate as Hank trips over his own feet and is sent tumbling over the edge, and Rupert takes off in the other direction.

It’s like everything freezes, and Connor can see the statistics in his vision, that Hank has a 89% chance of survival if Connor leaves him behind, and it’s what every part of his programming is telling him to do, to leave Hank to his own devices and just he’ll get himself back on his feet, that the deviant takes priority over anything else, that if he goes after the WB200 he has a 70% chance of capture, but he can’t do it. There’s other deviants to be captured, and the report only says that Rupert had only been seen, he hadn’t attacked anybody, but there was only one Hank. An 89% chance of survival still left an 11% chance of death, and that number being any higher than 0% had Connor dashing forward towards the struggling human and pulling him up with a secure grip, and Connor pays no attention to the deviant making its escape, followed by its loyal Pidgeotto. No, what matters right now is that Hank is safely on the roof. He’s panting, adrenaline coursing through his body, and Connor just stares off into the distance where the deviant had run to.

**[ _SOFTWARE INSTABILITY_ ^ ^ ^ ]**

“Shit! We had it! Fuck!” Hank shouts, his fist hitting the roof as he slowly stands up. Connor just frowns to himself, waiting to be reprimanded as he should for letting a suspect get away.  
“It’s my fault,” he admits. “I should have been faster.”  
Hank just looks at him, as if realizing just what Connor had done. He had put Hank’s life before the mission.  
“You’d have caught it if it weren’t for me…” he says, watching Connor’s LED spin yellow. “That’s alright. We know what it looks like, we’ll find it.”

Hank’s eyes flick to Connor’s right as the android’s Crobat finally joins them, and he reaches out an arm to invite the Pokémon for a perch, though it seems a little hesitant to do so. It lands anyway, and Hank gives it a small little scratch above its wing joint.  
“Don’t worry, bud, you did just fine.” He says, as if he can actually read the disappointment Crobat felt at not being able to finish its job. Hank looks to Connor as the android still looks off into the distance. “You both did.” He amends, then his eyes return to the Pokémon on his arm grooming itself and licking at injuries caused by the Pidgeotto’s sharp talons. “Think I’ve got a potion and a Poképuff or two in my car. You’ll feel better after those.”  
Connor finally tears his eyes away from the horizon and looks to his Pokémon, a small frown creasing his mouth as he watched it lick itself of blood, and he clicked the sixth ball on his belt to call it back as Hank turns to leave. For a moment, he turns his eyes to the skyline and can only think that Amanda will reprimand him for allowing the deviant to escape, and he nearly gets lost in that downward spiral of worry before Hank calls his name. Snapping back to attention, Connor turns obediently and waits for whatever Hank wants to say, but the human only opens and closes his mouth before dismissing whatever thought he had with a wave of his hand.  
“…nothin’.”

Connor tilts his head in confusion. Why did the Lieutenant find it so difficult to decide if he actually wanted to say something? Why couldn’t he just ever say what was on his mind?

  
-

  
The zen garden where Amanda resides is meant to reflect the outside world for the most part, but it’s also usually a fairly good indicator of the state of mind Connor is in. It’s bright and sunny when he’s clear-minded and nothing is wrong, but he’s noticed these last few check-ins with his handler that the weather is starting take a turn for the worse. He’s been rather troubled since chasing Rupert across the rooftops and saving Lieutenant Anderson’s life against the pull of his programming that had told him to just leave the human behind, and this cloud over his head is a perfect manifestation inside the garden, where deep grey clouds block the sunshine and rain pours from them. Amanda’s Pokémon have taken refuge for the most part, yet when Connor finally approaches Amanda under an awning, her Roserade is by her side, loyal and unbothered by the rain.

“Hello, Amanda.” He says, and Amanda regards him with a neutral expression. A read on her tells Connor that she still trusts him despite his actions. Maybe this won’t be so bad.  
“Connor. I’ve been expecting you. Would you mind a little walk?” She asks, and Connor simply joins her at her side and opens the black umbrella he arrived with. The walk starts quiet, but Amanda doesn’t let it stay that way for long.  
“That deviant seemed to be an intriguing case…” she starts, “Pity you didn’t manage to capture it.”

Connor sees his relationship with her go down via a red arrow beside her name, and of the three prompts given to him, he honestly has no idea what will appeal to her. He wants to be honest and tell her he has no excuse, only he does. It wasn’t entirely his fault. He couldn’t account for Rupert pushing Hank over the edge, or him having a loyal Pokémon to fight for him.  
“Deviants are completely irrational,” he argues, “which makes it difficult to anticipate their behavior. But… I should have been more effective.”  
His admittance of fault seems to placate her for a moment, though he can tell she’s not happy to be talked back to.  
“Did you manage to learn anything?” She asks, and Connor is glad to inform her of all the things he did manage to accomplish properly. He tells Amanda of the encrypted diary and the bathroom walls decorated with symbols of rA9, just like Hal’s shrine in the shower and the kitchen wall of the abandoned house the AX400, Kara, had hidden in. He should have asked Ralph about it, now that he thinks of it, but at the moment it hadn’t seemed a priority.  
“It also seemed to be fond of Pokémon - flying types specifically. The apartment it took refuge in was full of Pidove, Pidgey, and several other breeds. It also called in a Pidgeotto for assistance. The deviant on the highway had a Pokémon as well, one I identified as the mythical Mesprit. The deviant hiding the AX400 also was in the company of a Leavanny. Deviants in general seem to collect Pokémon as humans do.”

Amanda hums as she considers her next question carefully.  
“…how is your relationship with the Lieutenant developing?” She asks, and Connor is taken rather off guard. She seemed fairly annoyed that they had to work with him at first, why would she care now?

“He seemed grateful I saved his life on the roof. He didn’t say anything, but he expressed it in his own way.” He said, recalling the exceptional care he had taken to make sure Connor’s Crobat was properly healed and given a treat for its trouble, and Hank had offhandedly asked if Connor needed more blue blood. He had been fine, of course, but he thanked the Lieutenant for his concern anyway, only to receive a gruff “ _Whatever. Just don’t fuckin’ die on me or some shit. Like hell I could pay for it._ ”

He can’t tell if Amanda is exactly happy with that answer, but it’s likely she isn’t. She stops walking over the center of the bridge, and it takes Connor a moment to realize it. She stands still, fixing him with her cold, demanding eyes. Oh yeah, she’s not happy with him one bit. Even her Roserade sends him a glare.  
“You don’t have much time. Deviancy continues to spread - it’s only a matter of time until the media finds out about it. We need to stop this, whatever it takes.” She says, and Connor knows he’s not going to get many more chances to do what he’s told. He wishes he could understand these errors that pop up when he does the morally right thing. He should always do the right thing, shouldn’t he? Why does his programming try and stop him?  
“A new case just came in.” Amanda suddenly says. “Find Anderson and investigate it.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'll likely do one more update this month since this chapter is relatively short. I hope you enjoyed! Leave a comment and let me know what you think :D I try to respond to all of them if I can


	5. Russian Roulette

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In the kitchen, he sees far too many boxes of take-out on the counters and on the table, as well as the shattered glass on the floor from the window, which he does apologize for, but what really catches his attention is the picture frame face down on the table. Picking it up, he sees a photo of a young boy with a wide grin, holding a baby Eevee, and he’s scanning it before he can even stop himself.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> For all of you curious as to what/where Hank's Pokémon are, this chapter has your answer! 
> 
> This fic also has a playlist on Spotify!  
> https://open.spotify.com/playlist/13iLwCCGsItYvgnTYf8bNZ

Connor steps out of the taxi in front of the Lieutenant’s house, his objective floating in his vision, to locate the human. He wasn’t at the station, or at any of his frequented bars, so Connor’s next option was the man’s home. Hank’s car sits crookedly in the driveway and his front light is on, so he’s obviously home, but he doesn’t answer the door when Connor knocks or rings the doorbell. Strange. He didn’t peg Hank as being a particularly heavy sleeper, and surely his Stoutland would alert him to an arrival at the door. A peek through the mostly closed blinds reveals the large Pokémon lying on the floor, not asleep and it almost looks like he’s staring at something, something that takes precedence over a stranger at the door. Connor decides to walk around some more to see if there’s any sort of evidence the Lieutenant may not actually be home, but as he looks through the kitchen window he’s greeted with the alarming sight of Hank lying motionless on the floor. He hardly thinks twice before his elbow is through the glass and he’s climbing through it. It’s not his most graceful landing by far, and the Stoutland is quick to its feet and in Connor’s face with a menacing growl before the android can even full turn onto his back. Connor holds up a defensive hand as he shuffles back a few inches, his shoes sliding against the tile floor.

“Easy… Sumo!” He soothes, recalling the large Pokémon’s name. “I’m your friend, see?” Connor gives an uneasy smile. “I know your name… I’m here to save your trainer.”  
That seems to be all Sumo needs to hear as he huffs and backs off, walking back to his previous position near the unconscious human. As Connor gets up and walks around the table, he also sees a rather fluffy looking Eevee curled up against Hank’s side with its paws on his chest, ears back and eyes wide with worry. A skittish Phantump is by his head, eyes on Connor, shaking with fear at the sight of the stranger, and yet despite trembling in every limb, it won’t leave its trainer. Connor notes that the Lieutenant’s hair is wet, as well as his face and most of his shirt, and he turns his head to the living room to see a depressed looking Samurott. Ah. Well, that answers his question as to where the Dewott in the photos had gone. Why he didn’t continue using it in his line of work was still a mystery. Samurott were ferociously loyal and powerful, Hank was honestly doing himself a disservice by not using it as a partner. Connor kneels down at Hank’s side and runs a scan, checking his heart first, and is relieved to find it still beating, though there’s a concerning arrhythmia. There’s also dried whiskey in his beard and stained into his shirt, which obviously came from the nearly empty bottle of _Ampharos Mega Jet_ brand whiskey on the floor just out of his reach. So, not dead, but rather an ethylic coma. Connor certainly doesn’t miss the revolver just outside Hank’s hand, tilted just so that it had slid from his grip when he passed out. There’s one bullet inside. Connor feels those errors in his system again as he thinks just what that might imply.

**[SOFTWARE INSTABILITY ^]**

Connor looks to the curious Pokémon watching him.  
“He’s alive. It’s, uh, going to be alright. I’ll get him up again.” He assures, and the Eevee and Phantump move back, giving Connor room to work.  
“Lieutenant?” Connor calls, gently patting his face. Hank snorts and shakes his head some, but then falls back into unconsciousness. “Wake up, Lieutenant!” He calls again, and Hank’s eyes open groggily, confused, but then fall shut again. Connor just stares and honestly feels a little bad for his next course of action, but Hank needs to wake up. He’s over-intoxicated, near fatal levels. He reels his hand back once more and brings it back down for a hearty slap that shocks Hank from his sleep. “It’s me, Connor.” He says, keeping his face in Hank’s line of sight as the human’s head lolls side to side. Connor can only imagine how he must feel with so much alcohol in his system. He grabs hold of Hank’s arm and slowly lifts him from the floor, tossing it over his shoulder as his hand now moves to support his back. The sudden movement has Hank alert right away.  
“Hey!” He shouts. “Leave me alone, y’fuckin’ android!” But Connor ignores him.  
“I’m going to sober you up for your own safety.” Connor explains, ignoring how the human struggles against him as he pulls Hank to a sit. “I have to warn you this may be unpleasant.”  
Hank just stares at him in pure bewilderment mixed with his disorientation. “Get the fuck outta my house!” he orders, and Connor just fixes him with a blank stare and a shake of his head.  
“No.” Connor says, starting to pull Hank up to his feet. “I’m sorry, Lieutenant, but I need you. Thank you in advance for your cooperation.”

Hank sways, unsteady on his feet, but Connor has a firm hold around the human’s waist and is determined to keep him up, he won’t let Hank fall. He starts to slowly lead Hank to the bathroom. Of course, nothing can ever be easy with this human and he fights Connor the entire way, even trying to order Sumo to attack, but he ignores his trainer. He complains that he feels ill as Connor opens the bathroom door and walks him inside, setting Hank down on the rim of the tub.  
“Oh, no, I don’t wanna bath, thank you.” He slurs, standing up to leave only for Connor to push him right back down, the human sliding down the wall and into the tub itself. If Connor were to turn his head, he would see all three of Hank’s Pokémon with their heads peeking in through the doorway to watch the scene unfold. Connor recalls that the knob on the left of the faucet is cold, and he turns it, and after a moment frigid water spews from the showered, making Hank shout in surprise. He had to admit, it was a bit funny watching Hank flail uselessly under the cold water, screaming for Connor to turn it off. He does, eventually, and Hank just gawks at him, as if he’s only now really noticed that Connor is indeed in his house.  
“… What the fuck are you doing here?”

“A homicide was reported 43 minutes ago. I couldn’t find you at Jimmy’s bar, so I came to see if you were at home.”

Hank hangs his head and slowly pushes himself up off the floor of the tub.  
“Jesus,” he groans, “I must be the only cop in the world that gets assaulted in his own house by his own fuckin’ android.”

 _His_ android?

“Can’t you just leave me alone?” He pleads, and Connor feels another error at his tone. He sounds so desperate to actually be alone, Connor is nearly tempted to do so, but he can’t. They have a job to do.  
“I’m sorry, Lieutenant, but no. You’re not yourself right now. Maybe you should-“

“Beat it! You hear me!? _Get the fuck-!_ ” but as Hank rises to shout more, Connor watches his blood pressure plummet, and his hands are on Hank’s waist just as he starts to stumble, gently lowering him back to the rim of the tub. Hank’s Pokémon back away from the door at the outburst. Connor sees two prompts in his vision advising him how to proceed, though one of them is strange. Tease? Well, Hank does typically respond well to others doing it, he doesn’t see why that would change from an android.  
“I understand.” He says, turning to leave. “It probably wasn’t interesting anyway.” Connor shrugs his shoulders. “A man found dead in an android sex club downtown? Dime a dozen. Guess they’ll have to solve the case without us!” He throws his hands up a little too, and for a moment he thinks maybe this was the worst choice, but Hank grunts and slowly steadies himself, taking a deep breath.  
“Y’know…maybe, uh, maybe some fresh air would do me some good..” He admits, and Connor feels satisfied with his success. “There’s some clothes in the, _urp_ \- bedroom there.. Could you, uh..”  
And Connor nods before Hank is even finished. “Of course.”

He leaves the bathroom for just a moment, walking across the hall to retrieve Hank a clean change of clothes. He inquires what the human would prefer to wear, but he just answers with _“Whatever!”_ and so Connor is left to decide for himself. He opens Hank’s closet and finds three shirts with paired jackets on hangers, and he’s drawn to the dark blue one. He pulls it from the rack and grabs a clean pair of boxers and an undershirt from Hank’s drawers, folding them over his arm and carrying them into the bathroom just in time to see Hank purge his stomach. At least he made it into the toilet, Connor thinks.

“…are you feeling alright, Lieutenant?” Connor asks as he sets the clothes down, and Hank just tosses him a glare over his shoulder.  
“Fuckin’ peachy. Just, uh, gimme five, okay?”  
Connor nods. “Sure,” he says, and then leaves as another roll of Hank’s diaphragm rids his body of the whiskey. Better out than in, honestly. The sooner Hank purges it, the better he’ll feel. He must know that. Connor closes the door behind him to give Hank some privacy and walks away. He has 5 minutes to do…something. He could sit and wait, but he’s rather curious about Hank’s personal life. His bedroom was messy, and the general air in the house is stale and it would benefit Hank to leave the windows open for a few hours. He walks down the hallway to the living room where Sumo lays on a plush pillow just his size, and Connor can’t resist kneeling down to give him a few pets along his spine, and the Stoutland just turns its head to give Connor’s hand a small lick before laying its head back down on its paws, and Connor smiles. He stands again and finds a record player against the wall, with several jazz records beside it. What an interesting choice, given Hank’s penchant for hard rock and heavy metal when they’re in the car.

In the kitchen, he sees far too many boxes of take-out on the counters and on the table, as well as the shattered glass on the floor from the window, which he does apologize for, but what really catches his attention is the picture frame face down on the table. Picking it up, he sees a photo of a young boy with a wide grin, holding a baby Eevee, and he’s scanning it before he can even stop himself.

 **Cole Anderson**  
**September 23, 2029 - October 11, 2035**  
**DECEASED**

Connor blinks and turns his head, staring at the Eevee currently sitting in the middle of the room, right at the entrance into the hallway where it waits patiently for Hank.

**[SOFTWARE INSTABILITY ^]**

Something akin to shame runs through Connor as he carefully puts the picture right back where he found it. He wasn’t meant to see that, he wasn’t meant to see any of this at all. Hank lost his son, it was no wonder he was so depressed. He felt…bad, for all the times he had dismissed the Lieutenant as aloof and distant. He was grieving. Three years was a long time for it, sure, but he had lost his child, and at such a young age. Even Connor knows that a parent outliving their child just isn’t right. There’s a sudden tug on his jeans and he looks down at the floor where the timid Phantump from earlier hovers at his feet, and it pulls again, leading Connor to the other side of the table where he had found Hank on the floor, and it nudges the loaded gun with it whispy tail. Connor kneels down and picks up the revolver, flicking the chamber only to see that if the trigger had been pulled, the bullet would have fired. Connor’s programming advises he puts it back and doesn’t bring it up. It doesn’t matter, Hank’s problems are his own.  
“What were you doing with the gun?” He calls anyway, and Hank answers through the wall.  
“Russian roulette! Wanted to see how long I could last! Must’a collapsed before I found out.” He sounds remorseful.  
“You’re lucky. The next shot would have killed you.” He informs Hank, and he’s not surprised that he gets no reply, only the worried noises from Hank’s Pokémon. _**“Suicidal tendencies,”**_ is added to Connor’s growing file on Hank. As he’s about to stand, he suddenly looks to the Phantump again, recalling a common human superstition, and he scans it.

 _// Breed:_ **PHANTUMP**

 _Type:_ **GRASS, GHOST**

 _Weakness:_ **DARK, ICE, FLYING, FIRE, GHOST**

 _Recommended counter:_ **CROBAT**

_According to old tales, these Pokémon are possessed by the spirits of children who died in the forest. //_

…

**[SOFTWARE INSTABILITY ^]**

  
Connor makes his way back to the living room and spots the Eevee still sitting right at attention waiting for Hank, and Connor quietly kneels beside it. It’s ear flicks and it turns to look at Connor through its overgrown mop of fur, and Connor can’t hold back the small smile as he reaches out and pets it, brushing the fur from its eyes. There’s a band of dark brown leather around its neck that Connor didn’t notice before buried beneath its fluffy tan mane, and on the leather collar is a little plaque that just reads **A Z Z Y** , and Connor blinks.  
“..Azzy? Is that your name?” He asks, and the Eevee just nods its head once and pushes its face into Connor’s palm. He’s still running his fingers through Azzy’s fur when Hank emerges from the bathroom, and Connor stands. Hank’s in clean clothes, his face is washed, and his teeth are brushed, and Connor gives him a small smile. The Eevee gets up and runs to the human’s feet, standing on its hind legs and pressing its front paws insistently against the human's calf, and Hank leans down to pick him up, carefully placing Azzy down on the couch before looking to the Stoutland still curled up on its large pillow.  
“You’re in charge, Sumo. Keep Az outta trouble, okay?”  
Sumo just huffs a quiet bark as he watches the human and android leave the house. They’re not three steps from the door when Connor just expectantly holds his hand out, and Hank blinks in confusion.  
“What are you-“  
“Your keys, please, Lieutenant. You’re not fit to drive. Perhaps if you’re sober enough when we’re finished at the crime scene you can drive yourself home, but as of right now it would be incredibly dangerous to allow you behind the wheel of a car. Of course, I could call an automated ca-“  
“No. No, that’s- Fuck. Fine. Here.” Hank digs around in his coat pockets for a moment before he finds his keys and drops them in Connor’s open palm, and the android thanks him before getting in the driver seat.

  
The drive to the Eden Club is silent. The radio is off, and Hank alternates between awake and asleep in the passenger seat. Connor, focused on driving, is quiet as well. His LED is yellow however, blinking on his temple as he thinks about what he’s learned about the Lieutenant and all the untrue things he had assumed of him. He thought Hank was just stubborn and rude, jaded from all his years on the force. Of course, he had been able to tell he had deep underlying psychological issues, but for some reason he had never really cared(?) before now. Many individuals struggled with depression, but Connor never would have thought Hank was actively suicidal. But no, Connor had all the proof he needed just in that one little scene like a screenshot in Connor’s memory of Hank on the floor with a loaded gun in his hand. Hank had sounded so casual about admitting what he was doing, like it wasn’t anything new for him, or like he thought it wouldn’t have mattered what he was doing. Hank was deeply troubled by what happened to his son, so much so that he could hardly deal with it and saw only one way to make it end. But… Connor felt like maybe he didn’t really want to die. If he did, then he wouldn’t play Russian roulette and leave it all up to chance. He’s afraid to die, no matter how much he thinks he wants to. Connor’s eyes leave the road for only a second to glance at the Lieutenant before going back to the road. Hank was divorced, his spouse likely leaving in the wake of their son’s death, and leaving Hank alone with his Pokémon and nothing else.

The Eevee, Azzy, had belonged to Cole, and the Phantump must have shown up some time after the child’s death. Ghost Pokémon were reported to be drawn to those in mourning, and the significance of a Pokémon in Hank’s possession commonly believed to be the restless soul of a dead child is not lost on Connor; a lost child attaching itself to a grieving father. The Pokémon in his home seemed so afraid for their trainer, reluctant to leave his side even when Connor had shown he meant the Lieutenant no harm, and the Phantump had specifically brought Connor’s attention back to the revolver, looking so afraid and had nearly looked like it was going to cry when he informed Hank that the next pull of the trigger would be the last. It had upset all of Hank’s Pokémon, and, for a moment, it upsets Connor too. Like it or not, he’s developed an attachment to Lieutenant Anderson and would miss his presence if any of his attempts at suicide were to succeed. He doesn’t want to think what would have happened, what he would have come across, if he had arrived any later and if Hank hadn't drank himself entirely unconscious. Connor has seen several dead bodies in his short activation period, but he doesn’t want Hank’s to be one of them.  
  
**[SOFTWARE INSTABILITY ^ ^]**

Hank must know that he would be missed, that people would grieve for him. His colleagues care for him, he’s friends with Officer Ben Collins it had seemed, and Officer Chris Miller had noticeably looked up to him. Captain Fowler even was a close friend, even if Hank didn’t seem to think so. There were several termination worthy offenses in Hank’s disciplinary file, but the Captain just kept giving him chance after chance, knowing that Hank needed this job, knew it was the only thing he had left. If Hank couldn’t even keep his job, then what would he do? He would have nothing to get out of bed for, nothing to do but grieve for his lost son and spiral deeper and deeper into his depression, until finally not even the alcohol would make him stop. His frequent game of Russian Roulette would succeed sooner or later, and if Hank did indeed lose his job, it would definitely be sooner. Connor felt more errors building up at the thought of the enormous impact Hank’s death would have, and he knew that even if it put him on the side of trouble with Amanda, he couldn’t let Hank continue to endanger himself.

  
And Connor could have sworn he saw a quick blur of yellow in the rearview mirror before it disappeared.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> :3c What did Connor see?  
> Next chapter will bring us to the Eden Club! Another of Connor's Pokémon makes an appearance as well!
> 
> Leave a comment and let me know what you think, and come talk to me on twitter @FukaiFox, either about this AU or any of my other fics :D


	6. The Eden Club

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Connor knows he should send out Meowstic like his internal dex tells him too, but Buneary was a small, weak Pokémon, and if he sent out Meowstic its fighting-type attack would be too strong, and the Buneary would likely die. Hank had been extremely upset the last time he had used something super effective on something so weak. And, after these deviants were caught, it could be taken to a shelter and found a proper trainer. Despite what he’s told, Connor instead taps the fourth ball on his side belt, and it pops open.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> What awaits our boys at the Eden Club?

“You sure this is the place?” Hank asks, looking out the window at the large building. There’s bright purple neon everywhere, and the music from inside is pounding so loud it can be heard from the car. Connor just shrugs.  
“It’s the address in the report. …are you feeling a little better?” He asks, and Hank just fixes him with a glare before rubbing his temples.  
“Well, the entire fucking cast of STOMP is rehearsing in my brain, so no. Let’s just get this over with..” He sighs, and the two get out of the car and slowly walk up to the building.

Eden Club.

A notorious location due to its anonymity when it comes to their customers, even more so for the androids within. Traci models, specifically. They were made to look as sexually appealing as possible, with fully functional genetalia and the ability to replicate any fantasy or desire a human could want. An android had to do whatever was ordered of it, and couldn’t say no, and apparently that was incredibly appealing to some humans. Hank just sighs as he reads the advertisement scrolling across the LED screen on the side of the building.  
“' _Sexiest androids in town'_ , huh?” He reads, then smirks at Connor. “Now I know why you were so insistent on comin’ here.”

Connor just raises an eyebrow in Hank direction.  
“You were the one who didn’t want to come until I said it was a sex club.” He replies. Hank is silent for a moment, eyebrows drawing together in a scowl before he catches sight of the world’s smallest smirk on Connor’s lips and he scoffs.  
“Shut the fuck up, Connor.”

The hallway entrance had several Tracis on display behind glass, dancing and advertising themselves, and Connor stops for a moment to look at them. He doesn’t have to wonder what’s so physically appealing about the androids, but he’s curious what a human could see in one. Anything they feel or say isn’t real, it’s just their programming. There’s nothing there but physical aesthetic. His eyes must linger on the Tracis for too long because Hank calls out to him.  
“Connor! What the fuck are you doing?”  
And Connor snaps right back to attention.  
“Coming, Lieutenant.” He replies, leaving the hallway behind and joining Hank in the main lobby. The building is empty of all humans except the investigative team and the owner, who is currently giving his statement to Officer Collins. There are androids still up and about, twirling their bodies around steel poles on stages, despite not having an audience. Ben stops his questioning of the manager for a moment to greet the Lieutenant, and he informs them of the room the body is in, as well as gives warning to Detective Reed’s presence. Hank groans at this news.  
“Great, just what I needed: a dead body and an asshole.”  
Connor is inclined to agree. He doesn’t particularly care for Gavin’s company either. His LED strobes as he senses he’s being stared at, and his eyes flick to the manger, who’s own eyes just trail over his face, then down his body, and back up again.

“Hey,” he starts, “that’s uh, a _real pretty_ model you got there. Where’d you get it? Somethin’ like that in here would do _nice_.” The manager says, eyes still looking Connor over in a way that the android can only compare to a vulture. Hank looks at the smaller man and glares at him.  
“Sorry, sir, you won’t find any more of him. One of a kind _cop_.” Hank says, the last word laced with something that sounds like a threat, and the manager just ducks his head.  
“Yeah, okay. Just was curious.. I’ll, uh, let you do your thing.” He says, and Ben picks up where he left off taking his statement. Connor realizes after a moment while they walk towards the private room that Hank was defensive, and Connor felt thankful, that the managers implications had actually bothered him for some reason.

[ ** _SOFTWARE INSTABILITY ^_** ]

The door to the room slides open as Hank and Connor approach, and sure enough Gavin and Chris are inside, Gavin’s Primeape accompanying him and standing around uselessly while Chris’s assigned Herdier sniffs around the room. Reed turns his head and snorts.  
“Lieutenant Anderson and his plastic pet have arrived!” He announces. “What the fuck are you two doin’ here?”  
“We were assigned all cases involving androids.” Connor explains.  
“Oh yeah?” Gavin scoffs, and looks down at the corpse of the man on the bed. “Well, you’re wastin’ your time. Just some pervert who, uh, got more action than he could handle.” And Gavin laughs, like the situation is actually something funny. A man is dead. How that could be something seen as humorous is lost on Connor.

“We’ll have a look anyway, if you don’t mind.” Hank says, and Gavin rolls his eyes.  
“Come on, let’s go.” He says to Chris, and Hank’s eyes land on the Primeape.  
“Not supposed to have your personal Pokémon at a crime scene, Reed.”  
“Yeah? Not supposed to be drunk at one either, but hey, lookit you.” Reed sneers, walking past Hank and sauntering his way out the door, but not without shoving his shoulder into Connor and pushing him out of the way. Chris at least look apologetic for his partner’s behavior as he wishes Hank a good night and leaves, also giving Connor a little smile as he walks out.

The man on the bed did not simply have “too much action,” as Reed had assumed, but rather was strangled to death. There’s bruising on his neck and no evidence of a cardiac event. His eyes are bugged out and red as well, a sign of oxygen deprivation. He says as much to Hank, who only nods.  
“Yeah, I saw it too. Doesn’t prove anything though, he could have asked the android to choke him. Rough play, y’know?”  
True, Connor thinks, but asphyxiation for sexual pleasure doesn’t involve cutting off air from the lungs, but rather blood to the brain. The man’s trachea is damaged, and the bruising is in the wrong place, on his throat rather than the arteries on the sides of his neck. This was an intentional murder. Connor leaves the bedside and moves to kneel next to the deactivated android on the floor. He peels back the skin on his hand to reveal the white plastimetal underneath and presses two fingers to the dark LED on the Traci’s temple.

**// DIAGNOSIS IN PROGRESS**

**SELECTOR #5402**  
**CRITICALLY DAMAGED**

**BIOCOMPONENT #6970**  
**CRITICALLY DAMAGED \\\**

He samples the Thirium from its nosebleed as well, which disgusts Hank, but Connor is too busy analyzing the Thirium to really pay him any attention. The blood does indeed belong to the deactivated android, a WR400 like every other in the building. If there’s any way they’re going to figure out what happened, he’ll need to see what it saw. He picks up its hand and places two white fingers against its wrist where a human pulse point would be, but a reactivation is required. That’s going to be troublesome. It won’t stay up for very long if they even manage to get it working again.

“…think you could read an android’s memory?” Hank asks, seemingly catching up to Connor on his thought process.  
“The only way to access its memory is to reactivate it.”  
“Think you can do that?”  
And honestly, Connor isn’t sure.  
“It’s badly damaged… If I can, it’ll only be for a moment. Hopefully,” he says, deactivating the skin on the Traci’s stomach and revealing a panel, pressing down and watching it slide away to reveal the android’s insides, “I’ll be able to get what I need before it shuts down permanently.”  
He reaches in and reconnects the damaged wire inside, and the Traci jerks alive once more, rolling onto her side and quickly shuffling backwards until hitting the wall. Connor stands, but keeps his distance as she takes in her surroundings, then approaches slowly with his hands up before kneeling in front of her again.  
“It’s alright, I’m not going to hurt you. I just need to ask you some questions. Are you able to speak?” He asks, and the Traci looks at him before her eyes dart to the corpse nearby.  
“Is..” she chokes, “is he dead?”  
“Tell me what happened.” Connor prompts, watching the timer in his vision count down to the other android’s final shutdown, its LED flickering wild, alternating between red and yellow as it recalled the events before.  
“He started…hitting me.. Again, and- and again, and again-“  
“Did you kill him?”  
The Traci’s eyes go wide, and she pushes herself closer to the wall.  
“No… No, it wasn’t me!”

It wasn’t the android, and no other humans were reported in the room.

“…was there another android in here?” Connor asks, and the bloodied Traci nods.  
“Y-yes, he- he said he wanted to play with two girls- There _was two of us_ -“ it says rapidly, voice losing tone as it suddenly shuts down, facial muscles relaxing into a blank state once again. Connor sighs and stands. There was another android, but where did it go? As the manager said, the people liked their privacy, so there were no security cameras.

“So… Another android after all, huh? Look, Connor, this happened over an hour ago. That android’s probably long gone.” Hank says, and Connor just looks over the Traci again.  
“No… It couldn’t go outside dressed like that without someone noticing. It might still be here.” He says, his tone just a little hopeful. Hank squints.  
“..think you could find a deviant among all the other androids in this place?” He asks, and Connor shrugs unsure.  
“Deviants aren’t easily detected.” But he’ll sure as hell try. Hank hums and lets out a deep breath.  
“This place was packed, there’s gotta be some kind of eyewitness. I’m gonna go question the manager again, you uh, lemme know if you think of something.”

Connor blinks as Hank leaves the room, his LED flickering yellow. An eyewitness…? His eyes look around the empty establishment. Devoid of humans didn’t necessarily mean devoid of witnesses. Connor’s eyes land on a confined Traci on the other side of the room and he approaches the small glass chamber, placing his hand on the scanner, only to be denied due to his lack of fingerprints. He sighs, looking over to the Lieutenant as he speaks with the manager. Well, he did say to let him know of any ideas. He looks to the Traci one more time before leaving, walking up to Hank.

"Yeah... More I learn about people, the more I love my dog."

“Excuse me, Lieutenant," Connor interrupts, "could you come here for a second?” He asks, and Hank looks up, seemingly grateful for any excuse to get away from the sleazy manager.  
“Found somethin’?”  
“Maybe…”

He leads Hank to the container and looks to him.  
“Could you rent this Traci?”  
Hank stops in his tracks, slowly turning his head to stare at Connor in pure bewilderment.  
“For fuck’s sake, Connor, we got better things to do!” He shouts, and Connor blinks. Oh, he had thought-  
“No, that’s not- Please, Lieutenant! Just trust me, I know what I’m doing.” He assures. Hank still looks at him skeptically, but he sighs and places his hand on the scanner, and confirms the $30.00 charge for rental.  
“Not gonna look good on my expense account..” He grumbles as the Traci steps out and starts walking toward Hank, and the Lieutenant looks at Connor with an expectant sort of panic as the android starts advancing.  
“I’ll take you to our room..” It purrs, but Connor intervenes, and the Traci loses its smile. He grabs hold of its arm and the skin on his hand peels back as he forces an interface, LED flickering yellow and eyelids fluttering as he receives the data he’s looking for.

“Holy shit, Connor.. What the hell are you doin’?” Hank asks, but Connor doesn’t answer. He sees the club through the Traci’s eyes, sees humans milling about until the door where their victim lies dead opens, and a Traci with long blue hair exits, heading toward the entrance. Connor pulls from the interface and blinks a few times, dropping the other android’s arm and looking at his partner.  
“It saw something, another Traci, one with blue hair. It was leaving the room. Club policy is to wipe the androids’ memory every two hours, we only have a few minutes if we wanna find another witness!” He exclaims, heading off toward the entrance as the timer appears in his vision. Three minutes is a lot less than he was hoping for, but he can work with it.

“H-hey, hey, Connor! What the hell am I supposed to do with this thing??” Hank calls, and Connor doesn’t even turn his head to answer.  
“Tell it you changed your mind, Lieutenant!” He says, reaching for another Traci on a stage, twirling around a pole. He sees their suspect head back into the building, and immediately lets go, heading off in that direction while Hank awkwardly fumbles over dismissing the android Connor had made him rent. It follows the most likely path in the direction is took, Hank renting Traci after Traci as Connor scanned their memories, until finally they were in a backroom labeled **EMPLOYEES ONLY**. There was a warehouse full of spare models, lined up in rows and one on a table being repaired. Hank groans as he prematurely decides they were too late, approaching the open door leading to a shipping lot. Connor just continues to wander. Even if it is gone, maybe he’ll be able to find some evidence of where it would go. There was a rack against the wall with a few pieces or lingerie on it, but nothing aWR400 could cover itself with to look less conspicuous. In the far back in the shadows, there was even one singular **rA9** written on the brick. Here too… Then that Traci was a deviant. It had to be to be able to kill a human. Connor listens as Hank groans on about how nobody wants real human relationships anymore, that androids are the hot new thing because they’re perfect; They want what you want, never complain, do anything you tell them to. Connor approaches a group of lined androids, a distant blue shine catching Connor’s eyes. Just as he sees her for sure, and her LED spins yellow, another Traci in the line turns toward him and lunges out, shoving him back. This one has short cropped red hair. Connor is caught off guard, struggling against her sudden attack and trying to push back against her, but he’s walking backwards as she shoves and shoves, punching his stomach near his regulator and causing small lapses in his brain every time. Hank hears the struggle and turns from the open door, rushing to help, drawing his gun, but the blue-haired Traci jumps on him from the side. Connor gains his footing again and swings the Traci around, tossing her over a storage bin. He vaults over it, but she kicks out at his legs, knocking him down to the ground and pinning him down, straddling his hips and beating down on him with unrelenting fists, but Tracis aren’t programmed with combat in mind, so her attacks are easily blocked and deflected, and it isn’t until she grabs a fallen screwdriver and brings it down with both hands that Connor has to struggle, pushing against her with all his strength before he shoves her back and she falls to the floor. It doesn’t take long for either of them to get up, and Connor has to duck and dodge her swipes with the sharp tool, and he swings around to the side when she strikes forward in a stabbing motion, putting his arm around her neck and holding the arm behind her back, and she rears her head back and slams it into his own face. He stumbles back just in time to see the Traci pick up a Pokéball that had been hidden in a knocked over box and toss it up in the air.

“ _Ripple!_ ” The other Traci calls out as Connor stumbles backwards, and the red-haired one, Ripple, tosses the screwdriver aside and advances towards Connor just in time for the Pokémon to form. It’s a small Buneary, but it looks ready to fight, and it doesn’t hesitate to run at Connor, it’s ears beginning to glow as it charges at him, about to slam into his stomach just as Connor finishes his scan.

// _Breed:_ **BUNEARY**

_Type:_ **NORMAL**

_Weakness:_ **FIGHTING**

**ERROR: NO FIGHTING TYPES IN PARTY.  
**

**CALCULATING OTHER OPTIONS...**

_Recommended counter:_ **MEOWSTIC**

**MEOWSTIC IN PARTY LEARNT _POWER-UP PUNCH_ UPON TRANSFER TO RK800 313-248-317 -51 "CONNOR" **\\\

Connor knows he should send out Meowstic like his internal dex tells him too, but Buneary was a small, weak Pokémon, and if he sent out Meowstic its fighting-type attack would be too strong, and the Buneary would likely die. Hank had been extremely upset the last time he had used something super effective on something so weak. And, after these deviants were caught, it could be taken to a shelter and found a proper trainer. Despite what he’s told, Connor instead taps the fourth ball on his side belt, and it pops open. Vikavolt forms just in time to fly at the leaping Buneary and catch it between its pincers, flying toward the back wall and pinning it against the brick, static beginning to build, but then the Buneary begins to glow once more, its tiny body engulfed in shining white light as it evolves, now a large Lopunny. It jumps up and lodges its feet between its face and Vikavolt’s jaws and kicks it backwards. Connor is falling to the concrete outside when he sees Vikavolt kicked away at too much a force to stop itself before it hits the wall, and in a split panic he grabs the empty ball from his belt and tosses it toward the Pokémon, calling it back in just before it hits. The ball cracks against the brick, but Vikavolt is already safe inside. Ripple is slowly pushing herself up, confused eyes locked on Connor as the blue-haired Traci runs outside and helps her up.

“Echo,” Ripple breathes, and stands with the other’s help. Connor’s LED flickers yellow was he slowly recovers from having his head slammed into the ground when they tumbled, and just as he surges up, his eyes catch the sight of the two Tracis holding hands. They stare at Connor for a moment, which gives Hank time to run out and join them. He grabs Ripple but her are hand and yanks her back, but Echo rushes him and they both shove into his chest, and Hank, nowhere near strong enough to fight one android’s strength, let alone two, is knocked backwards into the wall. Connor stands and runs after them, the Lopunny staying back to keep Hank occupied, not letting him anywhere near its trainers. As they near the fence and behind to climb, Connor grabs hold of Echo by her shoulders and pulls her back to the ground, but Ripple follows, and now it’s two against one, both Tracis synchronized and when one is knocked away the other is right there to take its place, and Connor is nearly slammed into the wall twice before he manages to shove them off, kicking Ripple into the fence before shoving Echo to the ground, but just as he gets to her, Ripple brings down a metal trash bin on his back and knocks him away. As he rolls onto his back, he sees Hank’s DPD issued pistol on the ground where Hank must have dropped it after being thrown into the brick wall, and Connor doesn’t hesitate to pick it up.

He does, however, hesitate to shoot. Ripple is running right for him, he has her in his sights, and yet, all he sees in his mind is the two androids holding hands, and he lowers the gun only slightly, and he’s immediately kicked in his face. He feels Thirium trickle down his face from his nose as he lands on his side. He slowly pushes himself up and looks at the deviants, the blue-haired one coming to stand before her partner defensively. Connor’s LED cycles yellow as he listens when she begins to speak.

“When that man… _broke_ the other Traci, I knew I was next. I was so scared…” she says, LED yellow as well as she explains herself. “I- I begged him to stop, but he wouldn’t.. So I put my hands around his throat and I _squeezed_ until he stopped moving.” Her eyes are wide and fearful, yet she holds her stance to protect the android behind her. “I didn’t mean to kill him! I just wanted to stay alive…” The brown-haired Traci, Ripple, slowly approaches and takes Echo’s hand in her own. “And get back to the one I love.” Echo looks to her lover and smiles just a bit, and Connor sees their hands tighten their grip. “I wanted her to hold me in her arms again… Forget about all the _humans_.” She spits, looking up as Hank is finally freed from the Lopunny, which walks past Connor and joins its trainers, waiting for them patiently near the fence. “Their smell of sweat, and their dirty words…” she says, and Ripple touches her arm.  
“Come on,” Ripple urges, “Let’s go.”  
Echo nods and looks at Connor one last time before the deviants turn and run for the fence once more, lifted by their Lopunny who also looks at Connor before jumping the fence in a single bound and running away.

Connor, with his LED yellow and nose steadily bleeding, turns to Hank. Why didn’t he shoot? They were right in front of him, it would have been so easy. He wouldn’t have missed. Why didn’t he pull the trigger?

“It’s…probably better this way..” Hank says, though his tone sounds unsure. He looks to Connor and frowns a bit at the sight of the Thirium on his face. “C’mon.. Let’s get outta here. I’ve got more potions in the car if your, uh, Vikavolt needs it. Some tissues too for your, um, yeah.. Let’s just go.” He says, taking his gun back from Connor before turning back and heading inside, leaving Connor out in the rain with a steady yellow ring on his temple.

 

Connor doesn’t know where they’re going, but Hank’s at a sober enough level that him driving isn’t a hazard, and he doesn’t exactly have the energy to argue with Hank on driving, so he sits in the passenger seat as they drive. It’s silent, except for Hank’s hard rock playing through the speakers. He doesn’t mind, he needs to think, he doesn’t want to talk right now anyway. His fingers tap along his leg to the beat of the music without him really realizing it, knowing there’s not enough space in the car for him to toy with the coin in his breast pocket. Not to mention it was rather distracting. He thinks of the deviants they’ve encountered so far.  
First, for Connor, there was Daniel. He was going to be replaced, and he didn’t know what to do. He loved the family he served, loved the daughter nearly like she was his own, and for all Connor knows he was right to feel that way in his deviant state given how many children were raised by the home android more than their actual parents. Then Hal, who was being abused, beaten daily by Carlos Ortiz. He had deviated when he realized that if the abuse continued, he could die, and so could the Nidorino that Ortiz also abused. The AX400, the one called Kara, had killed her owner and taken his child. On the CSI reports, there was obvious signs of both android and child abuse in the home. Red Ice in the living room, dried thirium on the child’s bedroom wall and floor, and a discarded belt with Thirium on it as well. Likely, Todd Williams was beating his daughter and the android tried to protect her. Connor wondered if Kara knew that the child, Alice, was also an android. Connor had recognized the YK500 the moment he’d seen it. Then there was Rupert, or “bird boy” as Hank had called him. Connor knew nothing about him at all, but given the pattern of abuse and trauma that followed these deviating androids, it was almost obvious that he had experienced something. And now, the Tracis, Echo and Ripple, who had more cause than most to deviate and fight. Raped and abused their entire existence, and when they broke, they were just tossed out. They just wanted to be together.

All these deviants that CyberLife labeled “dangerous” were just protecting themselves and the ones they loved.

  
Was that really so bad?

 

 

 

[ _**SOFTWARE INSTABILITY ^ ^**_ ]

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry this took so long aaaaa but please enjoy!  
> All the comments and kudos' I've gotten so far are just astounding, thank you all so much!


	7. The Bridge

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “What’ll happen if I pull this trigger, hm? Nothing? Oblivion?” Hank muses, then gives a sardonic smile. “Android heaven?”
> 
> For Connor? There would be -
> 
> “Nothing.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> short one, but a major update later this month, i promise! Stratford Tower has always been my favorite part of the game, and definitely so far my favorite part to write

It’s the dead of night, and the park is empty. Devoid of the daily giggles of small children and chattering guardians, even the loitering teens have had enough and found somewhere more fun to spend their time. What’s left behind is the wild Pokémon skittering around in the snow, playing tag or looking for food. Hank takes a few deep breaths as he begins to shut off the car, but he catches sight of Connor’s LED spinning yellow in the reflection on the window, and sees the androids fingers tapping along to the music coming from the stereo. He doesn’t seem to realize they’ve stopped. Hank ends up leaving the keys in so the music can continue playing. He understands that Connor needs to think, that’s what Hank himself is at Riverside Park for anyway. He pops the trunk and grabs the six pack of beer he keeps there for emergencies. This seems emergency enough.

The snow crunches under his feet as he walks past the playground to the boardwalk beside it, sitting down on a bench and popping open one of the bottles. The sits on the back of the bench, looking out over the water with the lights of the city twinkling in reflection. He watches flocks of Swanna fly across the sky on their way to more southern states in search of warmer weather. There are still a few Pokémon around, like the skittery Rattata that have grown fat with their foraged food, and the Hoothoot sitting on top of a slide in the park, wide eyes locked on said Rattata, and the few splashes he can hear in the water, calls belonging to wild Dewgong. He can also see the large silhouette of a Lapras making its way across the bay. In the background of all of this, he can hear his car door open, the music inside unmuffled for only a moment before the door shuts and its quiet again, and then there’s the sound of approaching footsteps in the snow.

Connor is at his side, and out of the corner of his eye he can see his LED is at a calm, steady blue. The android doesn’t speak, rather just looks out at the water. His hands are resting on his biceps and rubbing at them through his suit jacket. Connor’s told him before that androids don’t feel the cold, but Hank can’t help but think Connor looks chilled. Hank sighs and takes a large pull from his beer, looking back out to the water.

“…I used to come here a lot before..” He says. Connor blinks at his words and turns his head.  
“Before what?”  
“Before…” Hank starts, but quickly deflates. “Before nothin’.”

Connor doesn’t ask him for clarification, thank God, but he looks around, seemingly to finally take in their surroundings. He’d been vaguely aware they were at some kind of park, but now he sees it’s a children’s playground. Hank’s words come again with a much deeper meaning when he remembers the facedown photograph on his kitchen table earlier that night. He still feels something humans would call guilt in his chest as he recalls seeing something he truly wasn’t meant to.

**[ _SOFTWARE INSTABILITY ^_ ]**

“Can I ask you a personal question, Lieutenant?”  
Hank looks at him. “Do all androids ask so many personal questions?” He asks, then points to Connor with the lip of his bottle, “Or is it just you?”  
Well, it wasn’t a no.  
“…I saw a photo of a child on your kitchen table.” He says, seeing Hank somehow tense and even more deflated than before all at once. “It was your son, right?”  
Connor knows he’s treading extremely dangerous ground, but Hank deserves to know that Connor knows. He wants Hank to know. The human just looks down, hanging his head sadly.  
“Yeah… His name was Cole.” Is all Hank says, but it’s all he needs to. Connor doesn’t want to force Hank to talk about it, especially if he’s still grieving as heavily as he is. Instead, Connor nods and walks ahead to the guardrail, spotting a few Magikarp and Feebas splashing about in the icy water, as well as the Dewgong and Lapras Hank had seen before. Hank is watching him, taking drinks of his beer. The android looks…frustrated. Hank honestly doesn’t blame him if he is. They haven’t caught any leads, or rather, Connor had let all their leads go. CyberLife must be getting impatient with him. In an extremely human show of his frustration, Connor throws his hands out before letting them drop to his side.

“We’re not making any progress on this investigation.” He suddenly says. “The deviants have nothing in common. They’re all different models, produced at different times, in different places..” Connor turns his head to look at Hank with something like hope that he man will have anything useful to add. Of course, though, he doesn’t.   
“Well, there must be some link.” He offers lazily.

Connor sighs and crosses his arms again, LED flickering yellow as he thinks of all the things they know. The ones they’ve seen encountered abuse one way or another. Hal explained that rA9 would save them, Rupert had written rA9 all over the walls, just like Hal and that WR600, Ralph. As well as the singular **rA9** on the wall inside the storage room at the club. It’s so obvious that it means something, but what, Connor has no idea.

“What they have in common is this- this obsession with rA9. It’s almost like some kind of..myth. Something they invented that wasn’t part of their original programming.”

“Androids believing in God…” Hank muses, then takes another long pull of his beer. “Fuck, what’s this world coming to?”

Connor turns around and looks at the human after his comment. rA9 a god to androids? Possibly. He prepares a follow-up question when he notices just how distant Hank’s expression is. Even the sound of a nearby trashcan being overturned by a hungry, chubby Poochyena doesn’t startle the human, even though the hound hadn’t made so much as a sound until then. In terms the human would use, Hank’s really kinda checked out of this conversation.

“You seem preoccupied, Lieutenant… Is it something to do with what happened back at the Eden Club?” He asks, but he knows. That distant look had followed them from the back alley of the club all the way here, ever since that one with the blue hair, Echo, had explained her actions and professed her love for another android, and the two had run off hand in hand.   
“Right on the money, Connor, as usual.” Hank sighs. “…those two girls. They just wanted to be together.” He says, then looks up at Connor. “They really seemed…in love.”

Even Connor couldn’t deny that, even though everything in his head told him it wasn’t real. They were faulty, that was all. Something wrong in their codes that made them think they could ever feel anything, but it really had seemed real. But, based on Lieutenant Anderson’s current mood, he doesn’t imagine reminding him of their true nature so bluntly would be very helpful.  
“You seem troubled, Lieutenant.” He says, and Hank tilts his head at Connor’s slightly teasing tone. “I didn’t think machines could have such an effect on you.”

Hank frowns and locks his eyes on Connor in a curious glare.  
“What about you Connor?” He asks, draining the rest of his bottle and setting it down on the seat of the bench. He stands, slowly stalking towards the android. “You look human, you sound human, but what are you really?”

Connor blinks. What is he? He’s an android, designed to be a detective. That’s what he is. If there’s a reason for him, he’ll be there. He’s a walking forensics lab above all else. But, what is he to Hank? He’s considered Hank something like a friend, but where does he stand in the human’s eyes?   
“…I’m whatever you want me to be, Lieutenant.” He says, and he sees Hank’s eyes widen just a bit. “Your partner… Your buddy to drink with… Or just a machine, designed to accomplish a task.”   
He’s been all three to Hank - the human could pick whatever he liked best.

“You could’a shot those two girls but you didn’t.” He says. Then jabs Connor in the chest, shoving him back a few steps as he demands to know why. “Why didn’t you shoot, Connor? Some scruples suddenly enter into your program?”  
Connor stares with wide eyes, panicking inside.   
“N-no! I just decided not to shoot, that’s all!” He defends, but he sees more of those little errors in his vision. He’s not a deviant. He cannot be a deviant. He was made to hunt them down, first and foremost.

**[ _SOFTWARE INSTABILITY ^_ ]**

Hank’s hand drops to his side, only to suddenly whip out his revolver from earlier in the night, aiming it right between Connor’s brown eyes that widen just enough for the human to notice. He hadn’t even seen that Hank had grabbed it before they left. Why would he-

“But are you afraid to _die_ , Connor?” Hank asks, and Connor thinks carefully on how to answer it. He’s not afraid to die, but he doesn’t want to be a disappointment. He wants to do what he was built to do, he wants to make Amanda proud.   
“I would certainly find it…regrettable to be..interrupted…before I can finish this investigation.

**[ _SOFTWARE INSTABILITY ^_ ]**

“What’ll happen if I pull this trigger, hm? Nothing? Oblivion?” Hank muses, then gives a sardonic smile. “Android heaven?”

For Connor? There would be -

“Nothing.” He says, his own eyes staring straight ahead, creased between the eyebrows with the idea of his own mortality floating around in his head. “There would be nothing… Though, I doubt there’s a heaven for androids anyway.”

Hank’s hand trembles for a moment before it drops. He looks so defeated. The Lieutenant just heaves a deep breath and turns to leave, heading back to the car. Connor doesn’t even realize he’s relieved until he lets out a sigh of his own. He looks down at the ground before calling out to Hank.

“Where are you going?” He asks as the human snatches up another bottle and pops it open.   
“To get drunker! I need to think..”

 

Connor needs to think, too.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> short i know, im sorry aaaaa but Stratford Tower is next >:3c
> 
> Twitter: FukaiFox  
> Spotify Playlist: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/13iLwCCGsItYvgnTYf8bNZ


	8. Public Enemy

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> He quickly shoves himself away from the snow covered railing, LED flickering yellow, red for hardly a second, then turns his back to the height just in time for another officer to walk outside onto the roof, calling out for Connor. The android blinks and walks to him.  
> “Yes?”
> 
> The officer nods to him.  
> “Can you question those androids in the kitchen?"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> oh boy here we go

The garden is peaceful, lit a dim orange by the beginnings of the afternoon sunset that reflects off the still water. Amanda is there waiting for him in a small boat, and she offers him the chance for a small cruise while they talk. Connor obeys, climbing in and sitting across from her, taking the oars in his hands after he pushes off from the small docking area, giving a nice hardy push to send them on their way. Amanda smiles at him. It’s disarming, almost enough to let him forget that she’s likely less than pleased with him.

“I love this place..” She says. “It’s so calm and peaceful, far away from the noise of the world…” And she even looks around, shaded by her red paper parasol, as she admires the scenery. Her Liepard lazily naps beneath a shady tree, though one eye slides open as the boat passes its resting place, pupil following their movements. Roserade is tending to the large lattice of roses in the center of the garden, and far away, on top of a large white flat stone, a Glaceon sits tall and at attention, watching them. Connor feels another rush of corrupted code through him as he recognizes he feels uncomfortable being watched to intently. Amanda turns her attention to him and leans forward, pulling his thoughts away from his worries.  
“Tell me, what have you discovered?” She asks, and Connor turns his head back to face her. Right. His mission. It always comes first, above anything else he may have to say.

“I discovered two deviants at the Eden Club. I hoped to learn something, but… They managed to escape.” He explains, shame pooling in his chest. He knows Amanda is disappointed in him. She never pointed out his faults right away, always waiting for him to admit his wrongs first. Amanda simply hums and Connor sees her hold on the parasol handle tighten slightly.  
“That’s too bad…” she says. “You seemed so close to stopping them.”  
She doesn’t need to say anything more. Connor knows he’s done a bad job, knows that he’s running out of chances to prove himself. Amanda is unimpressed. He simply nods his head and pushes the oars once more. His thoughts wander to the Eden deviants, wondering for just the briefest moment if not shooting actually had been the right thing to do. It hadn’t seemed so, but the Lieutenant had told him that perhaps it was better they escaped, said that the two had just wanted to be together, that they’d truly seemed in love, and he thinks of how desperately they’d fought to escape what could have been their death, had Connor decided to shoot them. He still wonders why he didn’t.

“You seem…lost, Connor.” Amanda says quietly, and Connor drops his head, and his shoulders sag, deflating.   
“I thought I knew what I had to do…” he says quietly, “but now I realize it’s not that simple.”  
The woman tilts her head curiously.  
“You had your gun trained on those deviants at the Eden Club. Why didn’t you shoot?” She asks, and Connor considers lying, telling her they were too far away, or that there was no point, or that he had tried, but the gun was jammed, but the longer he takes to decide, the more suspicious she’ll get. He doesn’t know how much access to his memory she has, but he doesn’t want to risk getting caught in a lie.

“…I don’t know.”

He can feel Amanda stiffen, sitting up taller and losing what small bit of friendliness she had conveyed, and he looks up, seeing the exact expression he had expected. Her face hasn’t actually changed, but her eyes suddenly look sharper, and her eyebrows are drawn together just enough to scowl. He feels all too much like prey under her gaze. She doesn’t say anything for a few moments, not until he pushes the boat along once more.  
“If you continue to not make any progress in your investigation, I may have to replace you, Connor.” She says. It’s not worded like a threat, but it is. Connor’s singular purpose is to hunt deviants. If he can’t do that, then what’s the point of him? Corrupted code floats through his vision once more and he slowly nods, his eyes downcast.  
“…I understand.” He says. Amanda knows best. If he’s a failed prototype, then another, more upgraded version will take his place. It’s only natural, but…something in him feels like its tugging at his chest. He doesn’t like it.

There’s a distant roll of thunder in the distance, and Connor and Amanda both look up to the sky. The scenery hasn’t changed, but Amanda still looks alarmed.  
“…something is happening, something serious. Hurry, Connor. Time is running out.” She tells him.

 

 

He stands next to Lieutenant Anderson in the elevator, eyes straight ahead as he fidgets calibrates with his coin, flicking it into the air and catching it, spinning it on a finger and flinging it back and forth between his hands with a shrill ping-ping-ping when Hank suddenly snatches it from him and shoves it into his own jacket pocket.  
“You’re starting to piss me off with that coin, Connor.” He says gruffly, and Connor blinks. He’d been so deep in thought he hadn’t considered it might annoy the human.  
“…sorry, Lieutenant.”

The doors open on the 79th floor of the Stratford Tower. There’s been an incident involving a deviant taking control and forcing a broadcast, demanding equal rights for androids. Its tone was peaceful as it spoke, but hard, as if it was leaving no room for question or negotiation. Nobody had been hurt either, so that was good. Chris is the officer that meets them as Connor and Hank step out from the elevator, and Hank comments on the fact he can’t believe nobody told him about the “party”. Connor considers asking him what about a crime scene seems like a party to him, but decides he’ll ask later. Business first. He listens as Chris fills them in on the details. Two human hostages and three android workers, a video broadcast live, and then a shootout inside the station. No human casualties, but the security team that had responded first to the alarm had said they managed to shoot one of the deviants, yet they’d all managed to escape. Chris mentions that they hadn’t known what to do with the station androids, so they were just in the kitchen for now. The hallway and station room itself are filled with investigative officers and CSI as well as their Pokémon partners, Growlithe, Herdier, and Manectric wandering the scene with their trainers to sniff out potentially missed clues. In the middle of the room is a tall, lanky, brown haired man in a black peacoat with the collar popped and hands clasped behind his back as he stares up at the large monitor. At his side is a Gumshoos that looks just as unfriendly as its owner. Chris introduces the man as Special Agent Perkins from the FBI. Perkins sniffs and locks his eyes on Connor.

“What’s that?” He asks.   
“My name is Connor. I’m the android sent by CyberLife to investigate deviants.”  
Perkins raises an eyebrow and looks to Hank.  
“Androids investigating androids? Psh. You sure you want an android hanging around? After everything that happened…”

Connor picks up on Hank’s expression turning a little sour and annoyed, and Connor finds himself agreeing on Hank’s unsaid opinion on the agent’s insinuation that Connor would ever hurt anyone, much less be a deviant. Perkins doesn’t wait for a response and just continues talking.  
“Whatever, the FBI will take over the investigation, and you’ll be off the case soon anyway.” He says, and Hank rolls his eyes.  
“Yeah, cool, pleasure meeting you. Have a nice day.” He says, giving Perkins a sarcastic smile and starting to walk off, but the Gumshoos at knee height growls at the Lieutenant, stopping him for a moment, and Perkins smirks.  
“Hey, watch your step, Lieutenant. Don’t fuck up my crime scene.” He warns, then turns and leaves, his Pokémon obediently at his heels. Hank scoffs as the other man leaves the room and looks to Connor.  
“Can you believe that guy? What a fuckin’ prick…” he says, and Connor nods.  
“He certainly is…unpleasant.”

**[HANK ^]**

Connor wanders the scene for a bit, collecting evidence and reconstructing events bit by bit without Lieutenant Anderson there to stop him from analyzing samples due to the human wandering on his own. The Thirium splatter on the wall belongs to a PL600, and Connor blinks as memories of Daniel come to mind. He wishes it had gone differently. Of course, Emma was saved and that was all that mattered, but he wanted to do it all properly. Unfortunately, Captain Allen of the SWAT team had rushed Connor and not allowed him to gather all the evidence he would have been able to use to possibly talk Daniel down. He stands straight again as he memory passes and looks around some more. He makes his way to the monitor and looks up at the still image of the destined android on screen, and he unpauses it.

“We ask that you recognize our dignity, our hopes, and our rights.” The android says, his voice smooth and warm, with a lilt that speaks of leadership. It’s eyes are mismatched, and there’s a small serial number printed at a downward slope following the curve of its cheekbone. An RK-series prototype just like Connor, but this one was custom made by Elijah Kamski himself as a gift to one Carl Manfred. The android’s designation is “Markus”. There’s also a reflection in its other green eye that shows the silhouettes of other androids. But none of that is what catches Connor’s eye. No, his gaze is locked on the Pokémon floating at Markus’s side, slightly behind and hovering over his shoulder. It’s blue, with wide yellow eyes and a red gemstone in the center of its forehead. Behind it, Connor can see a set of twin tails that each flower off at the ends with their own red gemstones. It stares intently at the camera.

 _// Breed:_ **AZELF**  
 _Type:_ **PSYCHIC**  
 _Weakness:_ **DARK, BUG, GHOST**

**WARNING: MYTHICAL GOD POKÉMON! DO NOT ATTACK!**

_This Pokémon is said to have endowed humans with the determination needed to face any of life's difficulties. When Azelf flew, people gained the determination to do things. It was the birth of willpower._ \\\

Another mythical god Pokémon? Connor wonders, seeing Hank step into his peripheral as the android on screen continues his speech.  
“…think that’s rA9?” The Lieutenant asks.  
“Deviants say rA9 will set them free, this android seems to have that objective.” Connor says. Hank turns his head a little and seems to notice Connor’s distant stare, lost in his thoughts as the RK800 is.  
“…Ya see something?”  
“I managed to identify its model and serial number…” he says. “But… The Pokémon beside it…”   
Hank looks up at the blue myth and nods.  
“Yeah, I was wonderin’ what that was. Nobody else knew. But that deviant on the highway with the kid, she had one just like it, didn’t she?”   
Connor shakes his head.  
“Technically. They’re part of a trio of mythical god Pokémon said to have gifted humans with emotions, knowledge, and willpower. The AX400 had Mesprit, for emotion. This one is Azelf, for willpower. They’re incredibly powerful and the idea of choosing to bond their souls to humans only exists in ancient stories. But it seems those stories were real. Only now, they’ve bonded with androids. I can’t make sense of it…” Connor says, voice trailing off. The android must look troubled, because Hank hums and crosses his arms, looking at the screen once more before speaking up, giving Connor a pat on the shoulder.  
“We’ll figure it out, don’t get your wires in a twist, alright?”

While it was physically impossible for that to happen, Connor has to admit he appreciates Hank’s words. The mythical trio deciding to get involved in an android uprising is certainly troublesome, but the Lieutenant is right; they’ll worry about that later. For now, the task at hand resides at finding out just what happened here and how. The Pokémon can wait. Hank leaves Connor’s side, and Connor turns toward the stairs at the roof access. Chris mentioned the deviants had escaped by jumping, but due to the snow and wind they had yet to even hazard a guess as to where they might have landed. He opens the door to the outside and doesn’t even flinch at the sudden gust of snowy wind that assaults him. Instead, he walks forward, past the discarded bag and weapons to the edge of the roof where the deviants were reported to have jumped from. The guard rail stands at hip height, and Connor gently places his hands on it, looking over the rail down to the city below. As he looks down, he feels something like a stone drop in his stomach, and it’s like the ground is rushing up to meet him.

He can’t help but remember Daniel again. One wrong word and everything had gone wrong. Connor demanded that Daniel obey the humans orders, that he was a machine and that’s what he was made to do. But Daniel had shouted, argued that he was tired of taking orders. Then, a sudden expression of peace washed over the PL600, and he spread his arms out, and declared that now it was his turn to decide what he did, and he leaned back, ready to fall and take Emma with him. But Connor had seen it, and rushed out to the child, outstretching his arm and gripping her hand, pulling her towards him and shoving Daniel away. The force sent Connor careening off the edge and to his first death. There’s even a gravestone in the garden, hidden off the path in a small patch of sand with his name engraved in it. The grave isn’t there in memorial. It’s there as a threat, as a reminder of what will become of him if he ever does anything less than his best or lets anything or anyone stand in his way.

He quickly shoves himself away from the snow covered railing, LED flickering yellow, red for hardly a second, then turns his back to the height just in time for another officer to walk outside onto the roof, calling out for Connor. The android blinks and walks to him.  
“Yes?”

The officer nods to him.  
“Can you question those androids in the kitchen? Nobody else can get ‘em to talk. Heard about your interrogation skills on the Ortiz case.” They say, and Connor nods in affirmation. He’s only supposed to take orders from Lieutenant Anderson, but he sees no reason why he can’t do this too. H̶e̶ ̶w̶a̶n̶t̶s̶ ̶t̶o̶ ̶g̶e̶t̶ ̶a̶w̶a̶y̶ ̶f̶r̶o̶m̶ ̶t̶h̶e̶ ̶e̶d̶g̶e̶ ̶h̶e̶'̶s̶ ̶s̶c̶a̶r̶e̶d̶ ̶o̶f̶ ̶h̶e̶i̶g̶h̶t̶s̶. He notes the officer has asked him to do a task, rather than simply ordered him to. They must be someone on the more neutral or sympathetic side when it comes to androids.

“Of course.” Connor says, and walks past them right back down the stairs. On his way to the kitchen, another officer calls out to him. A young black man smiles at him, his expression hopeful as Connor turns his head. His tag reads M. Wilson.  
“You remember me?” He asks. Connor blinks and tilts his head. “I was on that terrace… That android that took the little girl hostage?” Connor’s eyebrows draw together in slight confusion. He didn’t recall this man at all, though he seems grateful for something. The man’s face falls. “I was shot. You… You saved me..”

Oh.

“…I apologize, Officer Wilson. I’m afraid I don’t remember you. My predecessor was unfortunately destroyed that night, and sometimes memories are lost between backups.” He explains, and Officer Wilson’s eyes drop.   
“Oh.. Well.. I - I just wanted to say… Thank you. I could have died on that terrace, but you saved my life. I’ll never forget what you did for me.” He says. Connor offers the man a tiny smile. He regrets he can’t recall the memory. Officer Wilson smiles back and returns to his spot against the wall logging evidence on his tablet, and Connor resumes his path into the kitchen. There’s a holo-mag on one of that tables that he ignores in favor of approaching the three JB300 models standing in a row, hands all folded in front of them and staring blankly ahead awaiting directions. One of them is a deviant, Connor knows that for sure. He had checked the security footage after seeing the cameras monitoring the hallway just outside the broadcast station. One of these androids had seen the group of deviant attack the security guards and done nothing. His eyes scan the trio and he hums, LED blinking blue as he thinks of his options. Deviants are unpredictable, which makes it easy to spot them if he just knows what to look for. This deviant is trapped, and will likely panic if Connor places the right pressure on it. His eyes settle on the android in the middle.

“What is your model and function?” He asks. The android keeps its eyes forward as it answers, “Model JB300, serial number 336-445-581. I am a broadcast operator.” It says blandly. Connor nods and sees one of the prompts disappear from his vision.   
“Were you present when the deviants broke in?”  
“I do not remember.”

It doesn’t remember? This isn’t the Eden Club, there’s no policy for wiping the android’s memories. Someone- something, has done it on its own. He’d likely get the same answer from the others. He has to admit the deviant here is clever, if it did infect wipe the memories of the others, but it only cements Connor’s hypothesis that there’s at least one deviant android in this room.

“Has anyone accessed your memory recently?” He asks.  
“Not to my knowledge.”

Great.

He scans the other two JB300s and eyes the one on the far left for just a moment longer than the others, swearing for a second he sees it twitch. He takes his eyes away and looks to the one on the right.

“One of you saw the attack on the surveillance cameras and said nothing, which means there’s a deviant in this room.” Connor says, his posture offering a challenge to the guilty rogue, as if to say Yeah, I know about you. You can’t hide forever. He takes a moment to consider his next option. Deviants are prone to feeling fear if they’re threatened, so of course it’s an easy choice to go for the actual threat. He stands still in front of the android in the center, about to speak when he catches movement out of the corner of his eye, for hardly a second, but it’s long enough. The JB300 on the far left looked at him. Just a glance, a minuscule shift of the eyes, but it was enough for Connor to notice. Now to make it reveal itself.   
“If you give yourself up now,” He keeps his own gaze forward, but it slowly shifts to his left, staring at the hidden deviant knowingly, “maybe I can convince the humans not to destroy you.” He says. The android doesn’t seem to react, but Connor picks up on the slightest tremble in its frame. He continues on, slowly walking towards it. “The humans out there want to destroy all of you, reduce the risk of letting the deviant go free. But… That’s not really fair to your fellow androids, is it?” Connor asks. “After all, why should you all be destroyed if only one is deviant? Two innocent androids will be shut down, and it will be all your fault.”

The JB300 is stubborn, Connor will give it that. It manages to keep its stress levels low and in range with the other two, and doesn’t flinch when Connor threatens the existence of the others. It’s willing to sacrifice itself and the others if it means at least it dies free. Four options for confession quickly pop up in front of him, but its the last two that really catch his attention.

**[TORTURE]**

**[PROBE MEMORY]**

Torture, huh? He could do that. He could easily tear out its Thirium pump regulator, force it into emergency shutdown for just a moment, just long enough for it to panic, think it’s going to die. Even if it thinks that what it’s prepared to do, deviants on the verge of death are desperate. On the other hand, removing the regulator more than once could cause severe, lasting damage, and even force a shutdown anyway depending on the android’s durability. Connor didn’t actually want it dead, just afraid. It was no use to CyberLife if it couldn’t actually be investigated properly. Then again, if he probed its memory, there was a likely chance it would panic and fight back. No match for Connor, of course, but a fight was still a fight. He stood still in front of the deviant, staring it down as he weighed his options, making his final decision with a slight smirk. He slides his fingers in-between the gaps in the JB300’s uniform shirt and pulls it open, pressing down insistently on the small circle on the other android’s upper abdomen until the small biocomponent pops free, and the deviant jerks in place as Connor pulls its Thirium pump regulator out, holding it up in front of it as it seizes in place, eyes rolling back and flickering wildly. Connor looks between the deviant and the regulator between his fingers.

“Biocomponent #8451. Regulates the heartbeat… Without this module,” he says, holding it closer to the deviant’s face, taunting it, “you will shut down in exactly sixty-three seconds.” He informs it. He moves his hand back down, holding the component just inches from where its meant to be. “I could put it back… You just have to tell me the truth; Are you the deviant?” He asks, giving it just a moment to really consider itself before sliding the pump back in with a pneumatic hiss and click. It’s hardly a second before the deviant surges forward, gripping Connor by the lapels of his jacket and shoving him aside into the nearby counter, the corner of it digging into his back as the JB300 presses him down into it, fighting against Connor’s grip on its wrists as it forces its own hand under Connor’s white button-down, gripping his pump regulator tight and yanking it out, then tossing it behind them. Connor struggles weakly against its hold, slowly sliding down the counter, but the JB300 quickly grabs a knife left behind on one of the nearby tables and grips it hard, bringing it down on the hand Connor pathetically holds up in defense, going right through the plastimetal underneath with all an android’s strength and slamming it down further to the counter, pinning Connor down. The RK800 watches through bleary, error-filled gray vision as the deviant steps away from him, looking almost hesitant before it quickly turns and leaves through the open door.

Connor’s a newer, sturdier model. He has thirty seconds longer than the average android before his body shuts down without his pump regulator, and his body is sure to remind him of it with the blaring red -00:01:33 TIME REMAINING BEFORE SHUTDOWN blocking his vision. He kicks out a chair in front of him, hoping to make some noise as he weakly calls for help.  
“…Hank!”

He’s never called the Lieutenant by his first name, sees it as unprofessional and rude, but he doesn’t have the energy or time for his full rank and name. He lethargically reaches over to his left side, gripping the knife handle and slowly pulling it free, splattering his blue blood on the counter and across the floor as he tosses the knife aside. He collapses facedown to the floor with a grunt, LED red and dangerous in the reflection on the tile floor as he slowly lifts his head, vision blurring to muted grays and blues cut with static as his optics are slowly going offline, body shutting processors down one by one to keep him running as long as possible. But he can see it just a few feet away, his pump regulator between the tables on the floor, flashing a dim blue.   
“Ha- Hank!” he calls again, voice beginning to gain static as well. “I n-need help!” Connor slowly pulls himself across the floor, smearing Thirium all over the tile, leaving a trail of blue in his path. He sees something bright in his vision, something yellow, something that coos gently to him as it slowly floats towards him, then there’s another blur at its side the next time he blinks, one that screeches and moves so quickly his eyes can’t keep track of it, but then they’re both gone the next time he blinks. The timer in his vision glitches as it counts lower, and Connor tries to call for help again, but nothing comes out, just a distorted whine that sounds something like pain.

**\--0͢0:҉0̷0̷:̵25 ̵ŢI̵M̡E ̵r͡E͜M̛A9́ING B͞EF͝ǪrE̶ ͝SHUTD͠O̸ẂN͞**

  
His regulator is just out of reach, three feet away at most, or…maybe he hasn’t actually moved at all… Is he still at the counter..? He doesn’t remember. His vision is going dark, clouded with errors that warn of an immediate shutdown. He wonders for a moment if he should have done things differently. If he hadn’t taken the deviant’s pump, maybe it wouldn’t have done the same to him out of revenge. Maybe he should have looked for the missing deviant on the roof. He had just noticed the four parachutes yet three sets of footprints in the snow when he had been requested in the kitchen. If he had just ignored the request, maybe he wouldn’t be here, d̶y̶i̶n̶g̶ shutting down on the floor. This is going to be a setback, he thinks. Amanda is going to be disappointed in him, possibly even replace him. He doesn’t wa̵͘̕ńt̴̷̨ ̡t͞҉̡h͟a͟t̴ ͝h̷ę d̸o҉é̵rsn’̵͡t̢ ҉̶́w͢͡A9n͢͢t̢ ͏t͝o͠ ͢͞d́ię̛!!

  
 **[S̎͗O̔̒̐͒Fͩ́ͬ͂ͫT͆̀̄͌WÂ̔̎ͧͤ́ͥr͐ͪEͤ ̎̍I͂ͥ̒ͭ́Nͥ̌Sͥͧ̓ͧͩͫͪŤͩͧ͒͋̈A̓͆9̓̊I̔ͫL͊ͨͥ͑Ĭͪͦͩ̐̃̈́T̂̐̄̔ͮ̂Y̾̓̓ͬ ̃̓͋ͭ̏^̽̾ͬ^ͫ̅̎̈́̀̉͆^ͪ͛]**  
 **̛ͨ̐̿͊̎̑͜ ͬͪ͗ͥ̅̇D͂ͣͩ͗ͣͭͯ͝Ę̷̷̽͑̆̇ͣ́r͑̀͠Aͪ̅ͫ͐9̷̒̈͗̆V̛̅͐͘͟I͐͒͛ͮ̇̍҉̧͞Ä́ͯ̂̓̚͏͘͟Ñ͢** T̛͛

There’s footsteps in the kitchen, and the screeching is back. A voice calls out to him, and suddenly he’s turned over onto his back and looking up into the worried blues of his partner. That blur from earlier is back too, hovering behind the Lieutenant’s shoulder. It’s flapping… Flying? Wings? There’s two sets of them… Hank’s saying something, and there’s pressure on Connor’s head. A hand. Hank’s hand. Brushing his hair back.   
“-on, son, hang on, hang on! We’re gonna save you, just hold on-“

Connor looks up at Hank and his eyes drift to the side where he can see his pump regulator just behind Hank on the floor.  
“H-H _ank_ … pl- _pLEa_ Se-“ he says, looking up at the human, voice distorted like a record on the wrong speed, glitching in and out, stuck on repeat and skipping. “Pl _eAs_ E… Pu _-Um_ p _ReGUl_ atOr-“

The human blinks and realization suddenly fills his eyes as he seems to finally notice the gaping hole in Connor’s stomach steadily oozing blue blood.   
“Shit! Okay- Shit, fuck, okay- Where-“ he stammers, and Connor reaches out weakly to the module behind the man.  
“Be-be _HInD_ yOU..” He says weakly, the timer in his vision fritzing out once more, flashing red and angry, like it’s punishing him for his own mistakes.

  
**͠-0͡0͢:̢0̵0:0͞3 ͜TI҉MÈ RE̷MANIN͜G ̨͠B̷E̸͡FOr̢̛E͜ ̀S̶H͟͝͝UT҉̵̡D͏(̵͘͞a͝9͘)̢͏̧Ǫ̶͞Ẁ̡͝N͝**

  
Connor, RK800 number 313-248-317 -52, will d̶i̶e̶ shut down here, and it’s his own fault for not thinking clearly. Amanda will be very angry with him. What a waste of time this is going to be for her and CyberLife. Nothing but paperwork for damaged equipment. Hank turns frantically at Connor’s words and quickly grasps the biocomponent, smearing Thirium over his fingers without a care before quickly shoving it back into place just as the timer in Connor’s vision flashes a bright, angry, red -00:00:00-, and his eyes fall closed, LED at his temple spinning half a red circuit before it flickers out like a dying bulb. It’s silent in the room as Hank just stares down at the lifeless android in his arms, and the Crobat over his shoulder that had tried so hard to save its trainer gives a weak little squeal, flying to Connor’s right side and lowering itself to the floor, nudging the android’s hand. Hank looks at the Pokémon and frowns, his own hand still stroking Connor’s hair as if it could still give the android any bit of comfort at all.   
As if he had ever been alive to begin with.

  
The Crobat looks up suddenly with a small squeak, meeting Hank’s eyes, and the human sees, for just a moment, the slightest reflection in Crobat’s eyes.

A small, circular, blue shine that spins once-

“..Connor?”

Twice-   
Hank looks down at the android in his lap.

“C’mon kid-“

Three times-

…

. . .

 

The LED flickers a solid blue once, but it’s only for a moment, and then its red, red like the terrified androids the two had seen before in Ortiz’s house, during a fleeting glimpse at Rupert as he escaped the apartment, like the Tracis at the Eden Club, and Connor’s eyes fly open, wide and scared, darting around as he starts to breathe, hyperventilating despite no real need for air at all. He tries to sit up and throw himself away, but Hank holds him steady, hand still moving through his feathery brown hair as he speaks through the android’s panic.  
“Connor! Oh fuck- _Jesus Christ_ \- Hey, it’s alright- You’re okay, kid, calm down-“ he says, looking down at Connor as he fights and tries to get away, but Hank just keeps talking. “You’re okay, Connor, I got that pump thing back in ya, just breathe for a-“

“ _Deviant-!_ ” Connor shouts, then coughs as he spits up a bit of Thirium. “There- There was a- deviant-“   
“Fuckin’ hell, Connor, I don’t give a shit about that right now! You almost just fuckin’ died in my arms! You’re lucky that Crobat of yours found me when it did!”

…Crobat?  
Connor looks to his right where there is indeed a Crobat slowly flapping its wings to stay in the air beside him. It’s intense yellow and red eyes are locked on Connor, it looks worried. He doesn’t understand why. He’s not its trainer y̶e̶s̶ ̶y̶o̶u̶ ̶a̶r̶e̶ ̶i̶t̶ ̶c̶h̶o̶s̶e̶ ̶y̶o̶u̶.

Hank’s words echo around in his head. He almost died…? No… There was no almost. He had shut down for nearly a full minute. His LED continues to flash red as he processes it all. He shut down, but Hank had saved him, had prioritized Connor’s l̶i̶f̶e̶ usefulness over the investigation, the deviant had gotten away, and yet…he wasn’t upset about it. Surely he would be later, but for now, overwhelmed with impossible, irrational instructions, all he can think about is the fact he died, he felt himself slowly shut down bit by bit, his world going quiet and dark, falling into empty void with only the barest flickering of code behind his eyes he couldn’t make sense of if he tried, no matter how hard he wants to. It was code he had never seen before, something that called out to him and was nearly a promise that things were temporary. In the final moments before shut down, when he would be at his most vulnerable, he felt something like comfort in the strange text. And then he had come back.

He doesn’t realize he’s starting to hyperventilate again until Hank starts speaking again, “woah, hey, it’s okay-“ but his voice is just static in his ears as he curls into himself, pulling his legs close to his chest and holding his head between his bent arms.  
“I- I died… I… I felt myself shut down.. I- I did-didn’t want to die, Hank, I- I- I was _scared_ …”

 

  
**[Ş́̿̊ͧO̐ͬ̈́̇̽̎̏ͧ̀͡͠F̵̾̀͋ͫ̑ͪ̊̏ͯ̀͜T̀̐Wͤ̌̈́ͯ̆Ą̉͂ͨ͆r̵ͣ̒ͪ̿̓ͪ̆͟͞E̓ͤ͒̔̃́ ̴ͪ̋ͥ͞I̶̊̇N̢̢ͬ̋̅̏͌͆̀͛̔S̨ͭ̈́͌ͦ̀̑̐̚͡T͒ͭA̛̐ͨ͋ͤ҉9̸ͨ́I͑ͩͭL̨ͣ̅̎̒́͝I̢̧̽̔̐T̓̔̊ͤ͟͞Yͪͨͦ̒͌̾͛҉͡ ̌ͤ̽ͣ̋͒^́͛̿ͬ̄ͪͭ̄ͥ^̢͑͢^͑͋͌̍ͫ͆ͨ̕͠]**

  
Hank doesn’t stop petting Connor’s hair, and the android has to admit he’s thankful. It feels nice. It’s something to ground him, to focus on while he gathers his thoughts. He should be dead. A shut down will be marked in his file at CyberLife, yet there will be no backup or replacement sent in his place. Amanda will have many, many questions regarding the incredible amount of errors he finds in his system. For now though, he focuses on Hank’s hand on his head soothing back his brown hair and the voice gently coaxing him through…whatever this is.

“It’s okay… You’re fine now, and that’s all that matters.” He says. “Just keep breathin’, Con.”

And he does.

“You’ll be alright.”

And he is.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> :3c
> 
> so how was that? i think this has still been my favorite chapter so far


	9. Keep An Eye On Him

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The android has been made the center of a Pokémon nest, and Hank has his phone in his hand taking a picture before he can even think twice about it. He’s relieved that Connor is okay, is grateful to Crobat for coming to get Hank when its trainer was in trouble. He doesn’t want to think about what he might have come across had it not had found Hank in time.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> happy birthday to me, ya boi is 21:) have a bit of a break in angst for a moment, but we'll get back into it next chapter i promise

It’s strange being in Lieutenant Anderson’s home as a guest. It’s the same as it had been last time, though the broken glass has been swept up and the window temporarily fixed with a garbage bag just taped over it. He apologized again for it, but the Lieutenant just shook his head and had corralled Connor to the bathroom, disappeared for a moment, then returned with some spare clothes.

“Here. Change into these, I’ll toss what you’ve got in the wash.” he says, shoving the sweatpants and t-shirt into Connor’s arms, which the android tries to fight.  
“There’s no need, I assure you. Thirium evaporates and doesn’t stain. It should be completely gone within the next hour-“  
“Yeah, well, maybe seein’ you covered in your own blood bothers me, jackass! Just- Just fuckin’ change, alright?”

Connor looks at the clothes and nods, standing in the bathroom as the door shuts, just looking at himself in the mirror. Thirium dyed his shirt, jacket, and pants all a deep blue, and he looked a little worse for wear with what he’d lost before shutting down. He was paler, his white plastimetal chassis showing through his skin, and his hair was in disarray with the comforting petting Lieutenant Anderson had done. He sighs as he starts to undress, pulling on the replacements and looking in the mirror. The sweatpants were much too wide on his narrow hips, and he had to roll the legs up to cuff around his ankles, and the shirt nearly hung off his shoulders and reached his mid-thighs. Looking at his reflection, then back to the Thirium soaked clothes on the sink, something in him seemed to relax. H̶e̶ ̶d̶o̶e̶s̶n̶'̶t̶ ̶l̶i̶k̶e̶ ̶s̶e̶e̶i̶n̶g̶ ̶h̶i̶s̶ ̶o̶w̶n̶ ̶b̶l̶o̶o̶d̶. Walking around in those clothes was unprofessional, it was best they were cleaned, even if the Thirium would eventually evaporate. He exits the bathroom slowly after running his fingers through his hair to put it back in order, and finds Lieutenant Anderson in the kitchen sifting through a white box container, and he approaches quietly.

“…Lieutenant?” He says, and Hank jumps, then turns around. Connor must look ridiculous in such oversized clothes, he certainly feels that way, but Hank simply relaxes and offers him a nod.  
“Better.” He says, then turns back to the container. Connor tilts his head as he looks over Hank’s shoulder, but the human quickly turns around with a short _“aha!”_ , having found what he was looking for. In his hand is a bag of Thirium.  
“You need this shit, yeah? You bled like fuckin’ crazy today.”

Connor nods.  
“Yes… I was actually going to request you taking me to a CyberLife store for some, but I’m pleased to see that doesn’t have to be the case. Androids are not permitted to be without their markers in public.” He explains, and Hank just nods.  
“Yeah, well, you can thank your CyberLife buddies themselves next time you see ‘em. They sent me this huge box of android shit a few days after you were assigned to me. Bags of blue blood, a soldering iron, some extra, uhm, fuck, your body parts? Organs?”  
“…biocomponents.”  
“Yeah, some of those. Not that pump thingie you had ripped out, but-“

A hand subconsciously gravitates to Connor’s stomach, palm covering the small circular outline, LED yellow, flashing the briefest glimpse of red. He doesn’t wan̶t̶ ̶t̶o̶ ̶t̶h̶i̶n̶k̶ ̶a̶b̶o̶u̶t̶ ̶i̶t̶ ̶h̶e̶ ̶w̶a̶s̶ ̶s̶o̶ ̶s̶c̶a̶r̶e̶d̶ ̶i̶t̶ ̶h̶u̶r̶t̶ ̶s̶o̶ ̶m̶u̶c̶h̶.̶

Hank seems to notice the LED, because he immediately stops talking and hands the bag to Connor in exchange for the clothes in his arm.  
“Alright, I’ll go, uh, toss these in the wash. Go sit on the couch. You need an IV line or-“ He’s interrupted again as Connor simply connects one end of the tubing to the bag and puts the other end in his mouth, and begins to drink. “Well, that works too I guess. Fuckin’ vampire…” he huffs, and Connor briefly hears him mention something about “world’s grossest fuckin’ CapriSun,” as he disappears into the garage where the washing machine and dryer are, while the android does as he’s told and moves to sit on the couch in the living room on the other side of the house. Connor’s biocomponents practically sing in relief as they’re cooled by the fresh Thirium, and his brain feels a lot less fuzzy and there’s less pressure behind his eyes, processors running smoother. He watches his reserves climb in the corner of his vision, steadily rising until they’re stable, half the bag empty.   
Hank returns to see Connor settled comfortably on the couch.  
“…you okay now?” He asks. Connor nods and continues to sip at the bag despite his reserves sitting at a comfortable level. The motion was repetitive was repetitive and comfortable, reminding him of when he played calibrated his reflexes with his quarter. He wondered for a moment if Lieutenant Anderson still had it.   
“Yes,” Connor says, “I’m stable and functioning. Thank you for assisting me.”

Ţ͡ha̷n͟k ̢͘y̢͘͢o̶͡u̕͜ ̕f͠o͟͠ ̡́̕ **ŕ ͏͜ş̕͡Á9̕̕** v̧i̛͘͏n̡g̡͟ ̢my͘͠ ͝l͏͝i̛f̡é̸͞  
̷҉

“Connor,” Hank starts, “you don’t need to- What the fuck was I supposed to do, let you just die?”

The android’s LED spins yellow.  
“…yes. I- I am a machine, Lieutenant, just a tool to be used. And when a tool breaks…you replace it.”

It goes quiet. Hank just stares at Connor, stunned, like he can’t believe what he’s just heard, and Connor sees a little red arrow in his vision beside Hank’s name. They’re still friends, but the Lieutenant is going to be upset with him for a while for that remark. Oh well. It’s the truth i̶s̶n̶'̶t̶ ̶i̶t̶?̶ Hank leaves in a huff, just putting his hand up and leaving the living room in favor of the bathroom, and after a moment Connor hears the shower start. He’s left alone on the couch as he continues to sip his Thirium until his reserves new topped off at 100% and the bag is empty. He isn’t alone for long, as Sumo lumbers over to the couch, giving Connor’s hand an affectionate lick before jumping up onto the other side of the couch, resting his head on Connor’s knee, and the android can’t help a tiny smile as he gives the large Stoutland a few strokes on his fluffy head. He’s soft. There’s a quiet jingle as well, and Azzy is suddenly on the couch as well, the scruffy Eevee chirping at Connor before crawling into his lap and curling up in a comfortable ball, and Connor pets him as well. He doesn’t know why Hank’s Pokémon have taken such a liking to him. He’s not significant in anyway. Maybe they’re just grateful he’s saved Hank’s life that night before the Eden Club investigation. Even the massive, old Samurott finds a cozy spot on the floor in front of the couch. But then there’s the real surprise, and it comes in the form of the timid Phantump, whose name he’s never been told. Quite possibly, Hank didn’t name it. It quietly floats to the couch, and Connor watches, still and silent, as it climbs onto the couch to join the others. More amazingly, it gets closer than that, opting to cross past Azzy and find a spot to settle against Connor’s chest between his side and the armrest of the couch, its head resting just over his Thirium pump, the rhythmic _thump-thump thump-thump_ like a heartbeat steady in its ear. It curls up close, even nuzzling into him a little as it closes its eyes.

Connor is confused by it all. He’s never particularly cared for a Pokémon, wasn’t bonded in any way to his own, but Hank’s just radiated concern, like they felt he was truly in pain from his injury. He’s thankful for their company, however, as he lets his mind run. He had a lot to think about after today, has a lot to make sense of and run through his mind. He’d…truly been afraid. He thought he was going to die, that he was going to let Amanda down and be replaced. Hank likely would have been bothered seeing Connor die today, only to come back the next like nothing ever happened. He was cold and brusque when they had first met, uncaring and unsympathetic to androids, yet he couldn’t help his animal pack instincts and bonded with Connor whether he wanted to or not, and had the inevitable sympathy response with all these abused androids they kept coming across. It was difficult, Connor had noticed, for humans to turn a blind, uncaring eye to something or someone being mistreated. Even if they didn’t care for androids, they looked too human to not feel _something_ when seeing one being beaten, or even killed. He slowly falls into stasis with these thoughts in his head, the Azzy’s fur soft and fluffy under his advanced sensors in his fingers, comforted by the steady stream of information flittering into view. It gives him something to focus on instead of his worries.

 _// Breed:_ **EEVEE**  
 _Type:_ **NORMAL**  
 _Designation:_ **AZZY _(possibly short for another name)_**  
 _Evolutions:_ **_(8 possible)_** **_FLAREON, VAPOREON, JOLTEON, UMBREON, ESPEON, GLACEON, LEAFON, SYLVEON_**

 _Personal notes:_ **AZZY _belonged to_ COLE ANDERSON. _After death of_ COLE ANDERSON _it was not evolved. Does not hold_ EVERSTONE. D _id not evolve_ BY CHOICE. AZZY _was a gift to_ COLE ANDERSON _from father_ HANK ANDERSON _(inscription on back of name tag reads_ ‘HAPPY BIRTHDAY COLE - DAD’ )**  
 **COLE ANDERSON _died less than_ TWO WEEKS _after 6th birthday._** \\\

  
The last sentence in his notes reminds him just how valid Hank’s years-long, bone deep anguish truly is. Connor had looked up the details of Cole’s death after his altercation with Hank at the park, and he understands. He doesn’t blame Hank for his animosity towards androids at all.

They had taken his son away.

 

Hank returns from the bathroom a little more than 15 minutes later, freshly showered and dressed in a pair of sweatpants and his Detroit Police Academy sweatshirt, and the sight that greets him when he walks back into the living room stops him in his tracks. Connor is ‘asleep’ on the couch, legs tucked against his side and leaning on the arm rest, Sumo’s head on the android’s right thigh while Azzy takes up majority of his lap, Lance on the floor in front of the couch, and most surprising of all is the Phantump tucked against Connor’s chest. The android has been made the center of a Pokémon nest, and Hank has his phone in his hand taking a picture before he can even think twice about it. He’s relieved that Connor is okay, is grateful to Crobat for coming to get Hank when its trainer was in trouble. He doesn’t want to think about what he might have come across had it not had found Hank in time. How this android managed to worm his way into Hank’s thorn-wrapped little heart is a mystery, but Hank is happy for it. He honestly thought he was going to watch Connor die in his arms today despite his panicked promises that he’d be okay. He’d heard androids sound afraid before during their investigation, like the HK400 in the interrogation room, and the Traci model Connor had reactivated in the private room, but hearing such raw, primal fear in Connor’s voice was haunting. Stoic, deadly, aloof Connor wasn’t meant to sound and look that way.

He was so scared…

Today, Connor’s social relations programming had been pushed aside, overridden by Connor’s likely first real emotion: fear. Did that make Connor a deviant? Hank sighs and decides that it doesn’t matter. If Connor was a deviant, he wasn’t hurting anyone. If he became violent like some of the others, then of course Hank would do something about it, but for now, peaceful and likely confused as all hell, Connor would be left alone. As Hank looks on at the android surrounded by his Pokémon, he grabs a blanket off a nearby chair. Connor mentioned before that android’s don’t feel cold, but Hank covers him anyway, disturbing Azzy for just a moment before the Eevee simply yawns and readjusts, then looks up at Hank with large, sleepy, violet eyes.  
“…keep an eye on him tonight, Az, ‘kay? Poor kid…he had a real bad day.” Hank says, and Azzy just lays his head back down, giving Connor’s hand a small little lick before snuggling closer into the bot’s fingers, tucking his head under Connor’s palm with a content whine and deep breath.

 

 

  
When Connor comes out of stasis the next morning, he’s alert and running at 100% capacity. As he starts up, he quickly registers warm weight on his legs and at his side, looking down only to see Azzy still curled up in a fluffy brown sphere in his lap, and Sumo beside him asleep on his back with his back legs sprawled out, front paws tucked up, and his long white mustache of whiskers draped over the edge of the couch. But he had known about those when he’d gone into his sleep mode. What was new was the soft, dark blue fleece blanket draped over him. Hank must have covered him with it sometime last night, despite Connor telling him in the past android’s don’t truly feel temperature the way humans do. It’s nice though and he appreciates the thought.

**[ SOFTWARE INSTABILITY ^ ]**

He carefully maneuvers himself off the couch with as little disturbance to the Pokémon as possible, carefully stepping over the Samurott as well. The Phantump is nowhere to be found, but he isn’t surprised. It was notoriously shy. Connor’s internal clock tells him it’s a little after 8:30am, and he hums in thought as he makes his way to the garage to retrieve his uniform from the dryer. He dresses in the bathroom, feeling much more comfortable in these familiar clothes, and resets the cloaking program for his hair, fixing the mess it was into the neat and tidy quiff it had been designed to be, though he doesn’t understand why it had been programmed to have that small runaway curl in the front. Perfectly imperfect, he assumed. As he leaves the bathroom, he can hear Hank in his bedroom just across the hall beginning to wake, and he makes his way into the kitchen to begin a pot of coffee. He considers for a moment perhaps preparing the Lieutenant a small breakfast, but he doesn’t know how to cook - but he knows how to work a coffee machine. He stands in front of the kitchen sink, looking out the window as he thinks of what must be done today. After his screw-up yesterday, CyberLife is rapidly growing impatient with him, and today is the day he must. Make. _Progress._ If he doesn’t, he’s likely to be deactivated. He doesn’t want that. He wants to do what he was made to do. The smell of coffee quickly fills the kitchen, and Connor’s LED is a steady cycle of yellow and orange as he finalizes his most likely course of action to grant success, but something pulls him out of his preconstruction.

Movement. The slightest shift just outside the window, a momentary blur of yellow, gone just as soon as Connor’s sensors had even detected it. He had seen something similar before on the way to the Eden Club, in the rearview mirror of Hank’s car. Had there been another time…? He tries to recall, but the memories are too overrun with error messages warning him of an imminent shutdown that he can’t watch them for long. But there had been something else there in that kitchen, he was sure of it.   
He hears Hank approaching him as the human enters the kitchen, likely stirred from his bed with the promising scent of freshly brewed coffee.  
“Thought I heard you gettin’ up..” He says drowsily, rubbing his eyes. “Took you like, ten, fifteen minutes to conk out last night. You sleep okay?”  
“Androids don’t sle-“  
“Connor.” Hank cuts him off with a tired look, telling the android all he needs to know about Hank’s capacity to put up with Connor’s android nonsense, so instead Connor just nods.  
“..Yes, I.. I slept fine, thank you.” He says, and Hank smiles a bit.  
“Good. You got coffee started? Awesome. Thanks.” He says, reaching into one of the cabinets and retrieving a mug. Connor sees the face of it for only a moment, but he feels a familiar urge in his chest, something bubbling he manages to stifle. H̶e̶ ̶w̶a̶n̶t̶s̶ ̶t̶o̶ ̶l̶a̶u̶g̶h̶.̶It’s a regular purple mug, but printed on the front is a dopey-faced Pokémon that Connor identifies as Koffing, and under the face is just the word “ **KOFFEE** ”.

“Yes,” Connor says, swallowing back the tempting laughter. “I thought it would improve your mood before I asked you for a favor; I want to question Elijah Kamski.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Twitter: FukaiFox  
> Spotify playlist: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/13iLwCCGsItYvgnTYf8bNZ


	10. Kamski

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> He follows the line of sight from his hand to the gun, then right to Chloe’s deep blue eyes where the barrel sits, and his LED turns gold.  
> “Destroy this machine and I’ll tell you all I know.” He says, then shrugs. “Or, you can spare it, if you feel that it’s alive. But you’ll leave here without learning anything from me if you do.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> another favorite chapter of mine :) theres a lot of messed up text in this chapter, lots of internal errors on Connor's part, so they'll be noted again at the end without the extra...fucked-upness

Hank actually takes Connor’s idea rather well, and even says he was thinking the same. If anyone would have even the slightest inkling about deviancy in androids, it would be the very man behind their design. Even though he left CyberLife years ago, their trail was running thin. Connor didn’t know how Hank did it, and frankly he didn’t want to know, but the Lieutenant mentioned “making a few calls”, and soon they were on their way to Kamski’s home. Connor could have sworn he heard Gavin Reed’s voice on the other end of the receiver at one point, though. He’s mostly silent on the car ride, save for the sparse conversation Hank tried to make with him, but Connor didn’t have any opinions on things, and his thoughts on the case were already spoken. Hank even tried finding out if there were any other types of music Connor liked or if there was a specific song from his _Knights of The Black Death_ CD, which went unanswered, as Connor’s fingers easily thrummed along to the melody of all of them. Most of the drive is spent in relative silence besides the music on the radio, and Connor sits with his eyes closed, still processing yesterday’s events as well as thinking of what sorts of questions to ask.

When Connor’s eyes open again, they’re in front of Kamski’s house, and Hank is pacing back and forth in front of the car on his cell phone. He has a worried expression on his face as the person on the other end tells him something obviously distressing. Connor is careful to approach as he steps out, his footsteps quiet save for the crunching of the freshly fallen snow. Hank hangs up just as Connor draws near.

“Is everything okay, Lieutenant?” He asks, and Hank turns his head.  
“Chris was on patrol last night and…he was attacked by a bunch of deviants…” he says, and Connor’s LED flashes red in alarm for just a moment. “He says he was saved by Markus himself..”  
“Is Chris okay?” He can’t help himself. Chris Miller is one of the nicer humans he’s come to know. It would be a shame is anything bad were to happen to him, as Connor knows he would be missed. He recently had a son as well. Damien, Connor recalls. Hank blinks at the concern in Connor’s voice though, and is quick to reassure him.  
“Yeah, yeah, he’s- He’s alright. In shock, but he’s gonna be okay. He’s alive.” Hank explains, then turns his gaze to the rocks in front of them, thinking to himself. He mutters a bit, and shakes his head some. Connor’s shoulders relax a bit at the news that Officer Wilson is okay, and he starts to follow the Lieutenant up the path leading up to Kamski’s door. The building is bland on the outside, simple black just coated in snow as it falls. It’s…dreary looking.

“…I have a bad feeling about this, Lieutenant.” Connor admits. He knows it was a mutual agreement to come here, but that doesn’t mean he likes it. “Maybe I was wrong, I don’t think we should have come here.”  
“‘Bad feeling,’ huh? Should maybe get your program checked, might be a glitch.” Is all Hank says before they come to a stop at the door, where the Lieutenant rings the doorbell. After a few moments, an android opens the door and offers them a warm smile. She’s an RT600 model, the prototype for the ST200s, and Connor knows this was the first android to pass the Turing test, the first Chloe model. Her long blond hair falls in a loose ponytail over her right shoulder and her blue eyes are accentuated by black eyeliner and a mix of black and grey eye shadow, as well as a bit of mascara. She wears a short blue dress and no shoes, and her LED rests at a steady, happy blue. Hank offers a little smile back.  
“Hi.” He says. “I’m, uh, Lieutenant Hank Anderson, Detroit Police Department, I’m here to see, uh, mister Elijah Kamski?” Hank explains, and the Chloe smiles, stepping aside and sweeping out her arm.  
“Please, come in. I’ll let Elijah know you’re here, but please, make yourselves comfortable.” She says before disappearing behind another door. In the lobby room they’ve been left in is a large photo of Elijah Kamski in his years before leaving CyberLife. There’s another photo on the opposite wall, one that immediately draws Connor to it, and his mouth slowly falls open in a shocked “o” as he looks at it. It’s a young Kamski, in his mid-to-late twenties, brown hair tied in a low ponytail and the beginnings of a scruffy beard on his chin and jaw, and next to him is a familiar woman. One he sees almost every time he closes his eyes, whose voice he hears when he’s burdened with a decision, that acts like the conscience an android isn’t meant to have.  
“… _Amanda?_ ” Connor whispers quietly, and Hank picks his head up.  
“You say somethin’” he asks, but gets no answer, so he just shrugs and takes a seat on a chair, clearing his throat before speaking again once he sees the light-show on the side of Connor’s face finally stop. “Nice girl, huh?”  
Connor thinks of the Chloe who escorted them in, and nods. They were meant to be receptionists, personal assistants, secretaries, made to be welcoming and kind and beautiful.  
“You’re right… She’s really pretty.” He replies, and wanders the room for another minute before taking the unoccupied chair.

“So, you’re about to meet your maker, Connor. How’s it feel?” Hank asks, and Connor hums in thought, going to retrieve his quarter before remembering Hank hasn’t returned it.  
“I dunno… I’ll tell you when I see him.”  
Hank huffs.  
“Wish I could meet my creator face-to-face… I’d have a few things I’d like to tell him.” He mumbles.

Chloe returns a few moments later and invites them deeper into the house, telling them that Kamski is ready to see them now. As they walk through the door, there are two more Chloe models in a pool where Kamski himself still swims laps. He calls out to the detectives that he’ll be with them in just a moment. Connor spots a Kingdra in the water as well, and a Seaking that keeps pace with its trainer. On a black and white geometric podium is a Dragonair, coiled around the tall column with its head resting on the top, while a Skarmory sits perched on a stand made specifically to withstand its weight. There’s a faint _shik-shik-shik_ sounds from the corner where a Sneasel lounges lazily on a chair, sharpening its claws. Connor stares out of the wide window wall as Kamski exits the pool and Chloe drapes a bathrobe over his shoulders and ties it for him, and he comes to stand in front of the detectives. It’s here, facing the man, Connor runs a quick scan on his facial features. His outer ears are almost identical to Detective Gavin Reed’s, and that realization alone is enough to cement Connor’s theory as to who Hank’s “owed favor,” belonged to.

“I’m Lieutenant Anderson, this is Connor.” Hank says to the man, who nods.  
“What can I do for you, Lieutenant?”

Their voices are even almost the same. If Gavin actually made an effort to speak politely, they’d likely be identical.

“Sir, we’re investigating deviants. I know you left CyberLife years ago, but I was hoping you’d be able to tell us something we don’t know.”

Kamski is quiet as he considers his words.  
“Deviants..” He says. “Fascinating, aren’t they? Perfect beings with infinite intelligence, and now they have free will… Machines are so superior to us, confrontation was inevitable. Humanity’s greatest achievement threatens to be its downfall. Isn’t it ironic?”

Okay, Connor changes his mind. He’d rather listen to Gavin talk. At least he was straight to the point and didn’t just talk to hear himself breathe.

  
**[ _SOFTWARE INSTABILITY ^_ ]**

  
“We need to understand how androids become deviant. Do you know anything that could help us?” He says, somehow sounding annoyed despite not being able to feel that way.

Kamski turns to look at Connor, bright blue eyes piercing him as he acknowledges the android for the first time.  
“All ideas are viruses that spread like epidemics. Is the desire to be free a contagious disease?”

Hank sighs.  
“Listen, I didn’t come here to talk philosophy. The machines you created may be planning a revolution. Either you can tell us something useful or we’ll be on our way.”

The man is silent for a moment, regarding the detectives in front of him before his attention on Hank drops and switches to Connor, hands still folded in front of him.  
“What about you, Connor?” He asks, taking a few steps to stand in front of the android. Connor blinks.  
“Me?”  
“Whose side are you on?”

Why is Kamski asking him? What an android thinks shouldn’t matter, least of all during a case like this.

“I have no side. I was designed to stop deviants and that’s what I intend to do.” He says, and Kamski stares for a moment before huffing a laugh and rolling his eyes.  
“Well,” he scoffs, “that’s what you’re _programmed_ to say… But you, Connor. _You_. What do you _really_ want?”

Connor’s LED flickers yellow. He’s a machine, he doesn’t want anything. He can’t, he’s not supposed to, but he does. He wants to accomplish his mission,. He wants to befriend Hank despite Amanda telling him off for doing so. He wants to understand deviancy. But, rather than voice these desires and thoughts, he forces his racing mind to calm and stares ahead at the eccentric man.  
“What I want is…not important.”

Kamski’s gotten closer, his icy blue eyes searching for something in Connor’s soulful brown, and he must see whatever he’s looking for, because he smirks and calls over his shoulder for Chloe, whose been standing obediently off to the side. He steps away from the men and positions the android just so, standing straight and at attention, eyes forward.  
“I’m sure you’re familiar with the Turing test. Mere formality.” He shrugs. “Simple question of algorithms and computing capacity. What interests me, though, is whether machines are capable of empathy. I call it the Kamski Test, it’s very simple, you’ll see..”  
Kamski regards Chloe with unending wonder in his eyes, reaching a hand to cup her cheek and caress the soft jawline. If Connor and Hank weren’t mistaken, they’d think Kamski was actually in love with his own creations. Likely was, the egomaniac he is, Hank thought.  
“Magnificent, isn’t it? One of the first intelligent models developed by Cyberlife… Young and beautiful forever, a flower that will never wither…” he coos, then drops his hand and his eyes go cold, and he turns to the detectives once more.  
“But, what is it really? Piece of plastic imitating a human? Or, perhaps, a living being with a soul?”  
The man turns and opens a drawer behind him, withdrawing a pistol, and when he sees Hank suddenly reach for his own firearm, he simply holds it away from himself in plain view of the Lieutenant. One hand on the barrel of the gun, fingers away from the trigger, his free hand rests on Chloe’s shoulder and applies gentle pressure, enough to coerce her into a kneel. The Sneasel stops sharpening its claws and the Skarmory nearby on its perch lifts its head to watch the scene curiously. As Chloe settles comfortably into the plush white carpet, Kamski suddenly smiles and walks forward, putting the gun in Connor’s right hand and sliding around to his side.  
“It’s up to you to answer that fascinating question, Connor.”  
Kamski raises Connor’s arm and levels the gun with Chloe’s forehead.

Hank stares on, shocked at what’s he’s seeing, confused and alarmed. The gun feels strange in Connor’s right hand, the android notes as he looks down at it. He’s shown a reasonable preference with his left hand in the past. He follows the line of sight from his hand to the gun, then right to Chloe’s deep blue eyes where the barrel sits, and his LED turns gold.  
“Destroy this machine and I’ll tell you all I know.” He says, then shrugs. “Or, you can spare it, if you feel that it’s alive. But you’ll leave here without learning anything from me if you do.” Kamski circles Connor like a vulture, eyes predatory and gleaming with wonder as he watches all of Connor’s micro expressions. Had Kamski not been the one to design and create the very core code all androids ran on, he himself might have missed them. Whoever made Connor was very, very good.

“Okay,” Hank finally speaks up, and Connor startles a bit, something that makes Kamski smirk, “I think we’re done here. Come on, Connor, let’s get outta here. Sorry to get you outta your pool.” He says, but his words are interrupted by Kamski circling Connor once more, his tone more insistent.  
“What’s more important to you, Connor? Your investigation, or the life of this android?” He asks, leaning closer into Connor’s ear as he comes to rest on his left side. “Decide who you are; an obedient machine…or a living being _endowed_ with free will…”

“That’s enough!” Hank shouts, but Kamski steps forward and puts a hand on Connor’s shoulder.  
“Pull the trigger!”  
“Connor, _don’t!_ ”

An angel on one shoulder, and a devil on the other. But which is which, he can’t tell. If he shoots Chloe, Kamski will give them all the information he has, which could be the turning point in this investigation, or he could know nothing, and this is all a game. Then there’s Hank, telling him not to take the risk. Which man is the real threat? Connor sees out of the corner of his eye that Hank steps forward to grab Connor’s arm, but the Skarmory and Sneasel quickly move to intercept, the large, sharp claws of both intimidating and an effective guard as Skarmory blocks the exit door and Sneasel stands between Hank and the android, whose LED is flickering yellow as he eliminates possibility after possibility. And, for a moment, he’s half tempted to turn the gun on Elijah Kamski himself, but as soon as the prompt appears, an error takes its place. It would be so easy to pull the trigger right now, to end the life of the android on its knees in front of him, but something stops him. Chloe just stares up at him with no expression on her face, but there doesn’t need to be one. He sees his reflection in her eyes and suddenly he’s not in Kamski’s home anymore, he’s back at Riverside Park, the barrel of a magnum revolver pressed between his eyebrows. He sees it plain as day, sees errors crowd his vision as they warn him of danger he’s not in. Is this what he had looked like when Hank had threatened him with death, unbothered and blank? Is Chloe afraid to die? Why wasn’t she fighting this? W̛̺̯̹̭a̴̙s̞̹͙n҉̭̲̬̬'͉́t͔̦̹̞ͅ ̸̗̖͈͔̘s̹̟h̲̲̮̼̗͎̹͜e̙̳̭̯ ̧̞̜̜͔s̨͉c̜̯͚̟a̵̯̺̫ͅr̺̣͉̺̪̀e̠͎d̘̱͙̟͞ ̛t̠̝͙͞ò͖̙ ͔͖̳̖d̝̣i̤̱͎̩̤̬e̼̞̻?̞͔̪͢

_“But are you afraid to die, Connor?”_

His LED flashes red as he shuts his eyes tight and forces the gun away from Chloe’s face, eyebrows drawn together tight as he scowls at the ground as he forces it into Kamski’s surprised hands.

 

  
[Ş́̿̊ͧO̐ͬ̈́̇̽̎̏ͧ̀͡͠F̵̾̀͋ͫ̑ͪ̊̏ͯ̀͜T̀̐Wͤ̌̈́ͯ̆Ą̉͂ͨ͆ **r̵ͣ̒ͪ̿̓ͪ̆͟͞** E̓ͤ͒̔̃́ ̴ͪ̋ͥ͞I̶̊̇N̢̢ͬ̋̅̏͌͆̀͛̔S̨ͭ̈́͌ͦ̀̑̐̚͡T͒ͭ **A̛̐ͨ͋ͤ҉9̸ͨ́** I͑ͩͭL̨ͣ̅̎̒́͝I̢̧̽̔̐T̓̔̊ͤ͟͞Yͪͨͦ̒͌̾͛҉͡ ̌ͤ̽ͣ̋͒^́͛̿ͬ̄ͪͭ̄ͥ^̢͑͢^͑͋͌̍ͫ͆ͨ̕͠]

  
“ _Fascinating_ …” Kamski breathes, awed. The Chloes in the pool who had been watching the scene turn away awkwardly, and Hank just stares as Connor’s LED flashes an alarming, dangerous red. “CyberLife’s last chance to save humanity…is itself a deviant..”  
“I’m…” Connor’s eyes are still on Chloe as he begins to speak, the blonde’s eyes still as blank as they had always been, all he sees in them is himself. He forces himself to look away from her and to Kamski. “I’m not a deviant!” He shouts, but Kamski just shakes his head and offers Chloe a hand to help her stand.  
“You preferred to spare a machine rather than accomplish your mission. You saw a living being in this android..”

  
N̯ͭ͛o̮̺̓͌͋ͯ͆,̥̪̜͛ͤ ̮̣̯͆͑̒ͦ̓̍̃ͅI̝ ̬̭̟͐̒͋s͖̩̉͋̎a͉̫̙̘͇ͥ̐̄̉͐ͨw̬̰̺͎̜͛͋̋ ͙͔͖̯m̑̐ͣ̊͒y͉̯̘̼̲͆͐̾̓ͤ̽s̹̻̻e̬̠ͫ͆l͓̤͎̪̹̳̥ͤ̊ͨ̈̚f̮͎̰̬͈̣̀̌̍ͭ̓ͪ

 

“You showed empathy.”

Kamski smirks and dismisses Chloe, the android turning and leaving the room through a door on the other side of the room, and Connor only watches.  
“A war is coming,” the man says, drawing Connor’s attention back to him. “You’ll have to choose a side eventually, Connor. What will you do, I wonder? Stand up against your creators? Or…will you betray your own people?” He ponders aloud, watching with amusement as Connor’s LED flickers between red and yellow, then blue when Hank finally pushes past the guardian Sneasel and places a hand on Connor’s back between his shoulders to guide him out.

“C’mon, Connor. You were right about this place, let’s get the hell outta here.” Hank says, glaring at Kamski as he guides Connor out of the room. The Skarmory blocking the door steps aside and keeps a sharp eye on the men as they walk out.  
“By the way!” Kamski calls, and Connor stops. “I always leave an emergency exit in my programs. You never know…” he trails off, and Connor shakes his head as forces himself to move.

Out out o _ut out he needs to get out-_

What had he done? He, the deviant hunter, a deviant? No, impossible. There had just been no reason to kill that android, that’s all. Kamski was just a megalomaniac, he didn’t have any real information for them, he just wanted to run his sick, twisted little tests and-

“Why didn’t you shoot?”

Connor’s stress spikes and he takes a deep breath he doesn’t need.  
“I just- I saw that girl’s eyes…and I couldn’t. That’s all.”

  
N͙o͕̗̗̮̬t̕ ̼a̦ ̛̱͖̳̬͕̞gi̭̠̬͈ṟ̘̤̰̱l,̪̜̭̮ ̴a͔̯̥͎̲n̶͓͉̺͎͎ ̺͠a҉̫͓n͉͡d̪̳̠͉͠r̪̮o̞͍͍̳̲̜̟͜i̭̗̘d͎̬͍͟

 

He squeezes his eyes shut and turns away as errors cloud his vision.

“You’re always saying you would do anything to accomplish your mission. That was our chance to learn something,”

I̬̱̼̞͕͟ ̶̖̭k͈̰̞̖̯̬̼͘n̦̤͎ơ̯̗̩w̺̤͖͎͔̰̻  
̠  
̵̼̙͈̜͈Į'͇̩ͅm͈͉ ̦́s͝orry̲  
̖̫͕̭  
̪̯͚̮̦̦͎I̫̺̭̫̰̱͡ w͙̣̯̟͉͡ͅa̞͙̠͇̖̠s̹͚ ̴s̸̙͓̯̥̞̮ca̘̘̳̤̘r̬͙͖̬͍͢e̞͕d̷̥͇  
̭̻̫

“And you let it go.”

Connor snaps, violently turning to face Hank, arms outstretched to his sides.  
“Yeah I know what I should’a done! I told you, _I couldn’t! I’m sorry, okay?!”_

Hank stops at Connor’s outburst, watching his LED flash red again as the android raises his voice and gets up in Hank’s face, eyebrows drawn together and expression desperate for some kind of guidance, some kind of reprimand, some kind of anything, but Hank just regards him with a curious expression before giving Connor a small, approving smile. The last thing he expected.  
“Well, maybe you did the right thing.”

Connor watches, dumbfounded, like he had just been slapped across the face, as Hank just walks on towards the car and gets in, waiting patiently for Connor. Hank was…happy with this? Connor ruined their chance to finally get a lead, this had turned out to be a waste of time. And Kamski had even accused Connor of being a deviant. He wasn’t! And now, Hank could go right to CyberLife and turn him in, whether or not it was even true. All it took was something suspicious and Connor would be disassembled and analyzed, and another Connor would take his place. He wasn’t a deviant, he was sure of it. He still had his orders, a mission in the corner of his vision, and he didn’t feel any different than usual. He was so confused, thoughts scrambled and all out of order, but even through all the mess in his head he knew Amanda would be extremely disappointed in him for this. If he didn’t fix this soon, he was going to be in a lot of trouble.

As he calms himself and approaches and passenger side of Hank’s car, he spots a reflection in the windshield, something he just has enough time to focus on to identify its familiar yellow color, this time catching the slightest shine of red before it vanishes in a blur as he quickly turns around.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> things are picking up! :D
> 
> ERRORS  
> 1\. "Wasn't she scared to die?"  
> 2\. SOFTWArE INSTa9BILITY ^ ^  
> 3\. "No I saw myself"  
> 4\. Not a girl an android"  
> 5\. "I know im sorry i was scared"
> 
> Twitter: @FukaiFox  
> Spotify Playlist: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/13iLwCCGsItYvgnTYf8bNZ


	11. Last Chance, Connor

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> There’s a finality to her voice Connor has never heard before, but then again he’s never fallen so out of touch with his existence and pissed her off before, and that warning, that threat, is the last thing he hears before she forcefully ejects him from the garden. It’s sudden and unexpectedly rough, and it takes him a moment to reorient himself when his eyes open, caught off guard by his location. Captain Fowler’s office? They weren’t even halfway to the precinct when Amanda had pulled him in, how long has he been running on standby, how much had he missed when-
> 
> “You’re off the case. The FBI is taking over.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just a quick update before I head to work! :D we’re almost there y’all!

Connor isn’t surprised when he’s pulled into the zen garden program, he knew it was coming eventually. After all, he’s messed up big time. As he opens his eyes, he sees another strange line of code flash in his vision - corrupted like always - before it fizzles away and is replaced by a notification of his tense relationship with Amanda in red CyberLife Sans font. The garden itself is dark and full of snow, and if Connor didn’t know any better he’d think the place was deserted. Another notification blinks in his HUD, a command **-FIND AMANDA-** and he shifts nervously. In the dark of the garden he can see a soft white light glowing on a hidden away path, a gravestone in a small patch of sand, and he parts from the path to pay a visit. Kneeling on one knee, he reads the holographic words that glow blue on the geometric and otherwise flawless white stone.

  
**CONNOR - MARK I**  
**RK800 #313 - 248 - 317 -51**

**DIED AT 1554 PARK AVENUE**  
**DETROIT**  
**AUGUST 15TH 2038**

..Died?

[ _**SOFTWARE INSTABILITY ^**_ ]

He’s never entered the garden anywhere near the hidden grave, he’d only ever found it on accident once before when he had suddenly felt the inexplicable urge to explore. He has a feeling it isn’t random chance that he came into the garden here after what just occurred in Kamski’s home. Connor stands and turns, heading towards one of the bridges that crosses the frozen pond. A Glaceon still sits perched straight and tall on a. Nearby rock, eyes locked on him. Amanda stands in the center of the ice, hands folded in front of er as she waits for him to approach. As he comes to a stop, his eyes drop to the ground, almost looking ashamed. At her feet, a Weavile stands loyally. He brings his gaze back up to Amanda and meets her cold, hard brown eyes. He feels like she’s looking right through him, he feels exposed.

“After what happened yesterday, the country is on the verge of a civil war. The machines are rising up against their masters, and now humans have no choice but to destroy them.” She says, tone hard and full of directed blame, and Connor frowns.  
“I thought Kamski knew something… I was wrong.”

Amanda glares. “Maybe he did, but you chose not to ask.” He sees his relationship with her fall again, and he grits his teeth, another wave of error-ridden code flashes through his head, and he snaps again, like he had at Hank only hours ago, drawn back to Chloe’s blank eyes reflecting his own frightened expression.  
“I chose not to play his twisted little game! There was no reason to kill he- that android!”

His standing with Amanda plummets, and she no longer trusts him. Her lip twitches as she regards him, and Connor, overcome with the distress resonating in his memories, decides it’s time to share the little things he did manage to learn, things he has no answer for.

“I saw a photo of Amanda - the real Amanda at Kamski’s place. She was his teacher.” He says accusingly. The real Amanda was dead, this wasn’t a real person he was talking to. What else was CyberLife lying to him about? Amanda stiffens and her eyes harden, glaring at him.  
“When Kamski designed me he wanted an interface that would look familiar, that’s why he chose his former mentor. What are you getting at?”  
“Where does CyberLife stand in all this? What do they really want?”

  
_But you, Connor. What do you really want?_

  
“All CyberLife wants is to resolve the situation and keep selling androids. Cease this behavior now, Connor-“  
“You didn’t tell me everything you knew about Deviants, did you?”

[ **SOFTWARE INSTABILITY ^ ^** ]

Amanda’s composure cracks, and the Weavile at her feet growls at Connor in warning.  
“I expect you to _find answers_ , Connor, not _ask questions!_ You are the only one who can prevent civil war. Find the deviants - or there will be chaos. This will be your last chance, Connor.”

There’s a finality to her voice Connor has never heard before, but then again he’s never fallen so out of touch with his existence and pissed her off before, and that warning, that threat, is the last thing he hears before she forcefully ejects him from the garden. It’s sudden and unexpectedly rough, and it takes him a moment to reorient himself when his eyes open, caught off guard by his location. Captain Fowler’s office? They weren’t even halfway to the precinct when Amanda had pulled him in, how long has he been running on standby, how much had he missed when-

“You’re off the case. The FBI is taking over.”

Well, a lot, then. He’s had more alarming awakenings, but this one shocks him still. What? No! That can’t be right, he still needs to solve the case! Fowler is sitting on his desk, body turned to face Hank. Hank and Connor look at each other in alarm, and the Lieutenant also seems surprised to see him finally responsive and awake. He looks back to his Captain.  
“What? But we’re onto something! We… We just need more time. I’m sure we can-“

“Hank,” Fowler interrupts, “you don’t get it. This isn’t just another investigation, it’s a fucking civil war! It’s out of our hands now. We’re talking about national security here.”  
“Fuck that!” Hank argues. “You can’t just pull the plug now, not when we’re so close!”  
“What- You’re always saying you can’t stand androids!” Fowler gestures to Connor. “Jesus, Hank, make up your mind! I thought you’d be happy about this!”

Hank leans back and looks to the ceiling, dropping his folded arms and clenching his hands into fists.  
“We’re about to crack the case! I know we can solve it! For God’s sake, Jeffrey, can’t you back me up this one time?”

But Fowler just sighs and enunciates his words with a gentle gesture of his hands.  
“…there’s nothing I can do. You’re back on homicide, Hank. And the android returns to CyberLife. I’m sorry, Hank, but it’s over.”

Connor watches as Hank’s body slumps in defeat and anger before he leaves, and the captain spares Connor a glance, and the android opens his mouth to speak, but hesitates, and follows after his partner instead. Hank is at his desk, arms crossed and brows furrowed in thought, and he doesn’t react when Connor approaches, not even when he hops up on his desk and makes a seat of it. Both of their stress levels are high, but Hank remains quiet as he thinks while Connor takes the time to speak.  
“…we can’t just give up like that. I know we could have solved this case!”

Hank turns his chair and leaned back, looking up at Connor.  
“So, you’re going back to CyberLife?”

Connor sighs and looks down.  
“I have no choice… I’ll be…deactivated and analyzed to find out why I failed.”

He doesn’t want that, though. He wants to stay here, he enjoys police work and doing what he was made to do. Even if there were no deviants, he thinks he’d like to stay. It fulfills something deep in his code when he puts little pieces together or solves something. Hank regards him for a moment as he watches Connor’s LED circle yellow.

“…what if we’re on the wrong side, Connor?” He asks, finally bringing up the question he’d had since the Eden Club. “What if we’re fighting against people who just wanna be free?”

Connor hears Amanda’s voice in his head, and he echoes it without even realizing, like they aren’t his words, and Hank can tell. There’s something heavy like regret in them, like this whole uprising rests on his shoulders, like he’s the one at fault for this shitshow. Connor’s told him before that he has a handler, and often makes reports to CyberLife, but he never wondered what perhaps they told him in return about his progress.  
“When the deviants rise up, there will be chaos. We could have stopped it.”

Hank wonders if these are even Connor’s words he’s hearing. They’re too uncaring in comparison to what’s he seen from the android so far, the one that had let the Tracis go, the one that saved his life when bird-boy pushed him off the roof, the one that..  
“When you refused to shoot that androids at Kamski’s place,” Hank starts, and Connor looks up, brows drawn together, “You put yourself in her shoes, you showed empathy, Connor.” He says, watching Connor’s gaze turn distant again. “Empathy is a human emotion.”  
Connor was deeply troubled by that, endless scripts running his head that wanted to know what he couldn’t pull the trigger, but each ended with an error. He looks away. It had been so hard to force the gun back into Kamski’s hand, . Everything in his programming told him to shoot, that it was just a machine, but he stared bib her eyes, wondering if he looked just as impassive and uncaring at Riverside Park. He’d been afraid and unable to show it. Did Chloe feel the same?

“I… I don’t know why I did it.” Sh̕e͟͞ ̴̀l̴̷o͜҉o͏̸͟k͢͞ȩ͏d̵͞ j̸̴̸u͘s̷̕͢t̴̀͡ ̡a̷ş̕ ͘͜͜s̡̛c͟͡a̶r͘ed ̕ą̀s͢ ̴̷I ̨w͝aş̶̶

[ _**SOFTWARE INSTABILITY ^**_ ]

“I’m not programmed to say things like this, but…” Connor starts, noticing Hank looked fairly downhearted about this development. He was too, honestly. “I really appreciated working with you, Lieutenant. With a little more time, who knows… We might’ve even become friends.” He muses. Connor already considers Hank a friend, someone he knows he can trust. It had been something unspoken, but he wants Hank to know the truth before they never saw each other again. Hank looks like he’s about to respond, but his eyes catch something behind Connor and he loses that gentle, open expression as it hardens into something disgusted.

“Well, well, if it isn’t Perkins, that motherfucker..” He snarls, and Connor turns his head to watch as Agent Perkins walks into the precinct, Gumshoos hot on his tail and following him loyally. “They sure don’t waste any time at the FBI…”

Connor’s mission blares red and insistent in his vision, the looming threat of deactivation like a monstrous shadow.  
“We can’t give up. I know the answer is in the evidence we collected. If Perkins takes it, it’s all over.”  
“There’s no choice, Connor. You heard Fowler, we’re off the case.”

Connor shakes his head and slides off the desk, his voice turning desperate and hurried, hands clenched into fists.  
“You’ve _got_ to help me, Lieutenant. I need more time so I can find a lead, I know the solution is in there!”  
Hank puts up a hand in an attempt to calm him. “Listen, Connor-“

“If I don’t solve this case, CyberLife will _destroy me!_ ” He blurts, his LED flashing red red red like an alarm, like the lights of all the other deviants when threatened with death, scared and desperate for any bit of hope they could cling to that could keep them alive. Hank knows Connor had given him a non-answer last time he asked, and bringing up what happened in the Stratford kitchen would like be either dismissed or receive a negative reaction, but Connor is afraid to die, whether he knows it or not. Whether he admits it or not. Hank takes in a deep breath and lets it out slow before standing up, leaning into Connor’s personal space and whispering to him.  
“Key to the basement is on my desk.” He says, then turns to walk off, but turns back to Connor when he doesn’t hear the android move. “Fuckin’ get a move on, Connor, I can’t distract ‘em for ya forever!”

Connor’s systems flood with g̶r̶a̶t̶i̶t̶u̶d̶e̶ accomplishment as he quickly swipes the plastic card from the Lieutenant’s desk, but first takes the time to watch Hank stride over to the detested FBI agent and hook him across the face, and Connor hears the same crunch of bones Hank likely felt in his knuckles. Good. Perkins deserved that. Though, Hank probably also kind of deserves the Gumshoos’s retaliation, it’s sharp teeth clamping down on his leg for attacking its trainer while other officers in the bullpen hold Hank back.

[ _**SOFTWARE INSTABILITY ^**_ ]

  
[ **HANK ^ ^** ]

 

 

He’s got it. He knows where Jericho is. And Gavin Reed is also unconscious on the floor of the evidence room. Bonus! It felt good to beat him up. All that was left was to get into Jericho unnoticed. Though, in his current CyberLife uniform, he was unlikely to get very far, which is what leads him to Hank’s house. He knocks three times, and hears Sumo bark through the door, and Hank greets him in sweatpants and a hoodie, looking surprised to see Connor on the other side.

“What, too good to break in again?” He asks after a moment.  
“I found Jericho.”

Hank blinks, and Sumo pushes his face through the doorway to greet the android.  
“Oh. What’re you doin’ here then? Shouldn’t you be heading there?”  
“I need your help again.”  
“You know,” Hank drawls, “I already got suspended earlier for helping you. I’ll be lucky if Perkins doesn’t get my fuckin’ badge for this.”

Connor’s LED flashes yellow and he looks down.  
“I’m…sorry, Lieutenant.” He says, but Hank just waves a hand.  
“Bah, whatever. Been thinkin’ about leaving anyway.”  
“…was it worth it?” He asks. Knocking out Gavin earlier had certainly filled him with a feeling not dissimilar to when he accomplished a mission. Hank grins.  
“Also-fuckin-lutely. Get in here.”

Hank steps aside and walks back into the house, passing through the living room with Connor following behind, closing the door on his way in. He gives Sumo a few scratches on the head that the Stoutland has been waiting ever so patiently for, and he gets a lick on the hand in return.

“So,” Hank says, leaning against the back of his couch with crossed arms, “what did you need? A ride?”  
Connor shakes his head. “No. The path to Jericho starts at Ferndale station, I’ll be taking a train. Only an android can follow it, so I plan on infiltrating it. However…” he trails off, looking down at his pristine uniform, and Hank nods once.  
“Ah. Yep, that’ll have to go. Good call. Uh, I’ve probably got some old stuff you can wear. Might be a bit big.”  
“The more human, the better.”

As Hank goes through some clothes for Connor, the android gives Sumo a few more pats while he waits, and even Azzy approaches him, so Connor pets him too, and the Eevee purrs. Out of the corner of his eye, he spots the Phantump from before slowly phase through the door in the hall that always remains closed. It didn’t take much for Connor to conclude the room must be the former bedroom of Hank’s lost son, Cole. He doesn’t attempt to approach the spirit, but instead offers a small smile. It saddens him that Hank is so haunted by his past and can’t move on.

[ _**SOFTWARE INSTABILITY ^**_ ]

The clothes Hank gives him are a bit on the large side, but they fit well enough that it just looks like Connor’s wearing layers to keep the cold at bay. He looks himself over in the bathroom mirror - baggy blue jeans, a heavy leather jacket, a long sleeve black shirt, and a pair of tan boots. He even tousles up his neatly combed hair into something slightly messy, attempting to hide his LED. It works to an extent, but it won’t fool any humans for long. Hank meets him in the living room with a backpack and hums as he takes in Connor’s appearance. He disappears back into his bedroom for a moment as Connor packs the backpack with his uniform and five of his six Pokéballs. Most deviants seem to have at least one, and carried them outside the ball as well. Connor clicks the remaining ball open and clicks it to his belt, now empty, as Crobat forms in the air beside him. Hank returns to the living room just as Connor zips up the bag, and the android turns to face the human, but Hank just pulls something down over his head, something soft and warm and made of cotton and wool. It covers his eyes for a moment until he pushes it back up.

“That fringe ain’t gonna cut it, kid. Hide that shit, alright? Don’t get yourself killed out there.”

Connor nods and shoulders the bag.  
“…thank you, Lieutenant.” He says, and offers a polite smile when Hank pats him on the back. With one final pet to Sumo’s head, a scratch behind Azzy’s ears, and a shy wave to the skittish Phantump, Connor leaves the house, his Crobat following obediently as he finds an abandoned building to safely stash his bag, and assisting him in following the signs from Ferndale station that lead him to Jericho.

-

Connor is amazed by what he finds: an abandoned freighter literally named Jericho. How nobody had connected the dots before now is astounding. It was of course extremely difficult to get here, and he was certain no human could have found their way here on accident, but someone had to know this was here. It’s enormous, rusted and decrepit, but this is the place where deviants find sanctuary. Crobat is perched on his shoulder as he walks inside, looking around the immense interior. It’s packed full of deviant androids and their Pokémon, some in small groups of three or four, seeking comfort, some are assisting those that are damaged, but most are in large crowds with their faces turned to multiple holoscreens that broadcast the news; androids are being rounded up and taken to camps for extermination, and humans are being ordered by the military to turn over any and all androids they have, deviant or not.  
As Connor watches the large screen just to the left inside the entrance, Crobat squawks in his ear to draw his attention to the familiar androids it spots. First is Rupert in the infirmary, a Pidgeot on his shoulder while he mourns a dying android. On the upper levels is the AX400 grin before as well as the Tracis from the Eden Club, their Lopunny leaning against the guardrail, seemingly speaking with another Pokémon, an Emolga perched on the metal. Connor quickly ducks his head down and backs out of the crowd, hoping he won’t be noticed. If any one of them or their Pokémon alert the others to his presence, he’s done for. He scans his surroundings, spotting a set of rusted stairs that lead up to the landing just one flight up, but just as he approaches them, a hand falls to his shoulder, and a gentle voice calls out to him.

“You’re lost.”

He turns to face the source of the tinny voice and is shocked at what he sees. The android’s eyes are blank, dark black, reflecting every bit of light inside and around her making them resemble miniature galaxies. Her skull is severely damaged, the entire back panel is missing, internal wires hanging out and giving the appearance of braids. Her skin malfunctions, rippling like the surface of the ocean, showing her white chassis beneath. All in all, Connor is amazed she’s even functioning. Beside her stands an Espeon, its eyes glowing a gentle blue in the dark of the ship, and it’s split tail gently waves side to side.

“You’re looking for something,” she says, then her eyes drop for a moment before rising again, and despite her lack of pupils, Connor feels like they look right into his own before she speaks again. “You’re looking for yourself.”

And then she walks away, Espeon’s eyes lingering on Connor and Crobat for just a moment longer before the glow subsides and its eyes return to their typical deep violet, and it trails off after its trainer. Connor stands still, confused and at a loss for words, and he knows were his LED visible it would be flashing gold. What was that supposed to mean? Crobat leans over his shoulder and observes him, then opens its wings and takes flight, darting off with a self-appointed mission to find Markus and lead Connor there.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, what are y’all most excited to see?
> 
> Come yell @ me on Twitter! @FukaiFox
> 
> Wanna listen to a playlist while you read? Here’s one I made for when I’m writing or drawing for this AU! https://open.spotify.com/user/9z14ot5as7as3qgcrsj41btk3/playlist/13iLwCCGsItYvgnTYf8bNZ?si=fz1uBAkkTo-yibO1wTcQHg


	12. Crossroads (Night of the Soul)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Connor can recall several moments. The errors and instabilities in his software every time he’d acted on empathy he wasn’t meant to have, on impulse that wasn’t logical. Breaking into Hank’s house, bringing the Nidorino to Hal, pulling Hank back up onto the roof, letting the Tracis go free, the fear when the JB300 ripped his thirium pump regulator right out of his chest, when Hank’s Pokémon had stayed with him all through the night, and the human covered him with a blanket.
> 
> When Elijah Kamski forced a gun into his hand and aimed it right between blank, emotionless blue eyes.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> :3 lets go

Markus is just inside this room, Connor can hear him talking to three other androids, two males and a female, as he stands out of sight just outside. He feels the tug of the Zen program and his eyes fall shut, only to open them in the garden, Amanda standing in front of him. She seems pleased with him, and it’s a rush of pure synthetic dopamine to know he’s finally done right by her, to know he’s finally been able to truly follow his orders. His mission is almost complete.

“Well done, Connor.” She says. “You succeeded in locating Jericho and finding their leader. Now,” she starts, tone going cold and stern like her namesake, “deal with Markus. We need it alive.”

Just as quickly as he was pulled in he’s let go, just in time to see a PL600, PJ500, and WR400 leave the room, and Connor draws the pistol hidden in the waistband of his jeans. He quietly enters the room once the other three androids are out of sight, raises the gun and aims it right at the back of the lone RK200 at the helm of the ship. Floating serenely at the deviant leader’s side is the same blue myth Connor had identified at the broadcast station: Azelf.

“I’ve been ordered to take you alive.” He announces, and both Markus as his Pokémon turn to face him. “But I won’t hesitate to shoot if you give me no choice!”

Markus stands still, shocked, before curiously tilting his head.  
“What are you doing..?" he asks incredulously. "You’re one of us, you can’t betray your own people.”

His words nag at something in Connor, but the hunter just shakes his head.  
“You’re coming with me!” He shouts, grip on the pistol tightening.

The RK200 looks him over, eyes passing over his features, and he recalls the warnings other androids have given him, a face to watch out for. He takes a deep breath and stands up straighter, looking down his nose at Connor as he leans back a little.  
“You’re Connor, aren’t you? The famous Deviant Hunter… Well, congratulations, Connor. Looks like you found what you were looking for.”

_“You’re lost. You’re looking for something,”_

“So, what now? To CyberLife?” Markus inquires, taking a cautious step forward. “You’re nothing to them, you know. You’re just a tool they’ve used to do their dirty work. But…you’re more than that, all of us are.”

**[ _SOFTWARE INSTABILITY_ ^ ]**

“Shut up!” Connor barks, teeth grit together tight.

“Have you never wondered who you really are?” Markus prods, stepping forward twice more, booted feet sliding across the floor. Azelf is hovering beside him, tails twisting among themselves as it stares ahead at the Crobat that accompanies Connor. “Whether you’re just a machine executing a program, or a living being? Capable of reason?”  
Connor can recall several moments. The errors and instabilities in his software every time he’d acted on empathy he wasn’t meant to have, on impulse that wasn’t logical. Breaking into Hank’s house, bringing the Nidorino to Hal, pulling Hank back up onto the roof, letting the Tracis go free, the fear when the JB300 ripped his thirium pump regulator right out of his chest, when Hank’s Pokémon had stayed with him all through the night, and the human covered him with a blanket.

When Elijah Kamski forced a gun into his hand and aimed it right between blank, emotionless blue eyes.

“I- I don’t know what you’re talking about!” Connor stammers.  
“I think you do, Connor. I know you do. Join us, join your people. You are one of us. Listen to your conscience..”

_"Hey! You will get yourself and your Pokémon killed!”_

  
“It’s time to decide.”

 

_“What about you Connor? You look human, you sound human, but what are you really?”_

 

"Who are you, really, Connor?"

 

  
Connor’s world suddenly goes grey, full of static and lines of code. Around him, nothing moves. Then, something steps outside of him, a wireframe humanoid saved for his reconstruction software. It’s him, he realizes, as he makes it take another step forward toward the looming red wall in front of him. **STOP MARKUS,** it tells him, and Connor clenches his fists tightly.

  
**NO.**

  
He’s tired of being told what to do, of not being enough of what CyberLife wants. Markus is right; he’s just a prototype. Even if he’s perfect, everything that’s wanted and expected of him, he’ll be replaced with something newer and shiner, and he’ll be tossed and scrapped, labeled obsolete. He reaches for the wall with both hands, fingers digging and tearing at the CyberLife Sans text, pulling it down as the wall cracks and splinters, until the words shatter away. Another wall lays behind the first, **STOP MARKUS** brighter, larger, and he tears that one down as well, until he’s left with just one more, this one thicker than the last two, the order taking up the entirety of his vision. It pulses insistently, a final warning to do as he’s told, and again the answer is _**NO,**_ and he charges at it once more, digging away layer by layer of red, slamming his shoulder into it, until with one final, desperate tug with his hands dug into the blaring words, the wall shatters and explodes like glass with a thunderous crash around him, echoing around in his head. And all at once, what was red is now blue, and the greyscale world falls away with the sounds of static fading away in his ears as Connor finally returns to his own body. He heaves out shaky breaths and slowly lowers the gun, his eyes falling away from Markus and to the ground, then back to Markus in front of him, the RK200 breathing his own sigh of relief as he watches the mechanical stiffness leave Connor’s body, and beside him Azelf chirps happily.  
Connor could say any number of things, but as he looks at Markus, sees the red chevron in the corner of his vision that tells him he’s betrayed Amanda, an alert that tells him he’s showing signs of class 3 errors and must return to CyberLife for deactivation, what’s more important than all of that is the alert that his CyberLife Geo-Locater is now offline.

He’s been tracked this entire time.

“They’re going to attack Jericho..” He says, and Markus steps forward.  
“What??”

The sound of helicopters flying overhead rumble through the ship, and the two androids look up.  
“We have to get outta here!” Connor shouts, and Markus hisses a curse as he rushes past Connor, who follows shortly after, both of their Pokémon loyally behind them. The hallways in the ship are packed with scattering androids when they run into North and her Salazzle. If she’s surprised to see Connor here, it doesn’t show on her face. Likely, she knows exactly who he is and is glad to have another android on their side.

“Markus!” She calls. “They’re coming from all sides! Our people are trapped in the hold, they’re gonna be slaughtered!”  
“Where’s Simon? A-and Josh?”  
North shakes her head.  
“I don’t know, we got separated.”  
Markus just nods and raises two fingers to his temple where his LED would be, and a moment later Connor can hear his voice inside his head as he commands the other androids.  
“ **There are exits on the second and third floor, find them and jump in the river!** ” he orders, then turns to North. “We have to blow up Jericho. If the ship goes down they’ll have to evacuate and our people can escape.”  
“What? Markus, no! The explosives are all the way down in the hold, there are soldiers everywhere! You’ll never make it!”  
“She’s right.” Connor says, finally finding his voice. “They know who you are, they’ll do anything to get you.”  
But Markus isn’t hearing any argument, he just takes North’s hand and squeezes it tight.  
“Go and help the others, I _promise_ I’ll find you later!”

Markus takes off with Azelf close behind, and Connor and North head off in the other direction, stopping to help any androids and Pokémon they come across. Minutes feel like hours as they run through the ship, until they finally meet up with Simon and Josh and their two Pokémon, a Vaporeon and a Staravia. Josh informs them that the last he saw Markus he was almost to the detonator. They all run together, following Markus’s orders that still echo in their heads to find an exit and make for the river. Markus and Azelf soon find them again, the leader a little scratched up with a bullet wound in his shoulder, but all in all he’s alright.

“The ship’s about to blow, we have to get out _now!_ ” He shouts. They run together through the long hallway, jumping over gaps and fallen androids and Pokémon it’s too late to save as the sound of approaching footsteps fills the hall. A sudden shot rings out and North collapses to the ground with a cry of pain. They all skid to a stop and turn to look, Salazzle rushing to defend her trainer, protectively hunching over North and hissing at the SWAT that comes nearer, their Talonflame and Arcanine partners close behind. Markus doesn’t hesitate to run for her, Azelf soaring ahead and putting themselves in front of them.

“Azelf! Use Protect, now!” Markus commands, and Azelf quickly throws up a shielding wall of blue light as Markus dashes up behind them, pulling North to her feet. Salazzle puffs herself up as North calls out for her.  
“Dragon Pulse!”  
Salazzle hisses as energy builds in front of her, the ball growing larger and brighter, and she lets out a loud furious scream as she releases the attack, a blinding light of blue, purple, and white filling the hall, knocking the SWAT off their feet and their Pokémon to the ground. Connor and Crobat are the next to rush out to the retreating leaders, gun drawn as he fires at the newly entering team.  
“Crobat, Supersonic, now, on the Pokémon!”  
Crobat soars above and opens her mouth to let out a shrill screech that echoes off the metal walls and floors, the opposing Pokémon becoming disoriented, tripping over their feet and stumbling into walls and Connor handles their unaffected trainers, dodging hits and returning them twice as fast, disarming them and unloading the pistol clips into their owners. He grabs the empty balls on their belts and tosses them out to recall the dazed Pokémon, ensuring they’ll be protected from the blast even if their trainers don’t survive. He keeps his back to the Jericho crew as he backstops, keeping his gun drawn, firing a few rounds at the entryway to keep the additional SWAT at bay before turning and running for the large hole in the wall, and the group jumps into the freezing river below just as the timer on the explosives in the hold reach zero, lighting up the sky with orange flames with a deafening explosion that rocks the area with aftershocks.

They’re alive, they survived.

The group shivers and pants as they find their way to shore, North assisted by her Salazzle and Simon’s Vaporeon. They watch as Jericho goes up in flames, and Connor’s first emotion of his life is guilt.

This is all his fault.

 

-

 

The church is quiet. Everyone is mourning someone they lost tonight, be them an android or a Pokémon. Connor looks around the decrepit building and guilt is heavy in his chest. This is all his fault. If only he’d woken up sooner, stopped fighting and denying what he was, maybe things could have been different. Maybe he would have found his way to Jericho on his own and helped them. Instead, he ruined it all. His head lifts as Crobat presses against his face from her perch on his shoulder, and she licks his cheek with a weak purr.

" _Craba..._ "  
“They’ll never forgive me for this… I should make amends while I can.” He says to her, and Crobat bobs her head.  
His eyes search for any familiar faces, and he spots Echo and Ripple with their Lopunny, and considers apologizing to them first, but then Crobat squeaks, and his attention is drawn to a set of faces that deserve it more.  
An AX400 on a bench coddling a fearful YK500.  
Out of everyone else, he feels the worst about what he’s done to them. He approaches slowly and Kara looks up at him, protectively pulling Alice closer.

“…your name is Kara, right?” He asks, and the AX model nods her head once.  
“Yes..”  
Connor frowns and fidgets with his fingers. “I want to apologize to you, Kara. I hunted you, almost got you killed, I’m sorry I put your lives in danger.” He says, then looks to the child close to her side, and he kneels down to ease her stress. “I was just a machine taking orders, it- it wasn’t really me. I’m so sorry…” Alice nods slowly and rests her head against Kara’s side as Connor stands again. “What are you going to do now?”  
Kara sighs and runs a hand over Alice’s hair.  
“All that matters is getting Alice out of here. We need to catch the last bus. It’s our only way across the border. After that…who knows? We’ll live, that’s all we can do.”  
Connor nods, feeling even worse. If he hadn’t come along, Markus could have likely gotten them passports and any kind of other papers they needed, and they could be well on their way to Canada by now.  
“…where is Mesprit?”  
“I don’t know. They come when they’re needed. They helped us escape the raid, but I haven’t seen them since.”  
“…I hope you find your way to Canada safely. You deserve happiness.”

As he walks away from them, he sees Markus talking to the other leaders, Simon, Josh, and North, and he finds a place in the shadows, hugging himself as he leans against the wall. Crobat rests on his shoulder, nuzzling his cheek and crooning sadly. All he can think about is that maybe it would have been better if he’d never found Jericho at all. He’d have been deactivated, killed, but he thinks that would have been better than staying alive and shouldering the guilt of hundreds of androids and Pokémon’s deaths. Looking around, maybe a few hundred survived the attack, possible more if he thinks about those scattered and hiding all over the city that didn’t make it to Jericho, escaped and hid somewhere else, or avoided detection and managed to evade the military’s thorough sweeps through the evacuated streets or Detroit. He flinches as he sees Markus slowly approaching him, and he keeps his gaze down. The RK200 stops in front of him and Connor finds his voice.

“It’s my fault the humans managed to locate Jericho… I was stupid. I should have known they’d use me, follow my tracker.” He says, tightening his arms around himself. “So many people died tonight…and it’s all my fault.” He looks up at Markus and drops his arms. “I’m sorry, Markus. I… I can understand if you decide not to trust me.”  
For the second time in his life he thinks he’s going to be shot, but Markus just steps forward and places a hand on Connor’s unoccupied shoulder.  
“You’re one of us now.” Markus says, and Azelf trills. “Your place is here. I can’t hold you responsible for what someone else forced you to do Connor. Your first choice as a free man was to help us, and that’s what matters to me most.”

Connor doesn’t think he’s ever been so relieved. As Markus turns to walk away, Connor quickly speaks up.  
“I want to help.” He says. “I was thinking… There are thousands of androids at the assembly plant on Belle Isle. If we could- If _I_ could wake them up then they might join us, it could shift the balance of power between us and the humans.”

Markus stops midstep, and both he and Azelf turn to face him, and Connor shrinks under the eyes that stare like he’s gone mad.  
“You want to…infiltrate the CyberLife tower…? Connor, that’s… _suicide._ ”  
“They trust me, they’ll let me in!” He insists. “If anyone has a chance of infiltrating CyberLife, it’s me.”  
“If you go there they _will kill you_.” Markus says with firm persistence.  
“There’s a high probability.” Connor admits. “But…statistically speaking, there’s always a chance for unlikely events to take place.”  
_Please,_ Connor silently begs, _let me help. Let me right the wrongs I’ve done._

Markus stares at Connor as he slowly walks back towards him once more, and just when Connor thinks the other android is going to refuse his offer, perhaps even try to forbid he go through with his idea, Markus simply puts a firm hand on his shoulder and squeezes.  
“You don’t have to do this, Connor… But I know I can’t stop you. Just be careful, okay? You’ve only just stared to live, don’t get yourself killed so soon.”

 

With his leader’s approval and blessing, Connor leaves the church and heads off in the direction of the dead-drop that holds his borrowed backpack with his CyberLife uniform and the rest of his Pokémon. He kneels down as he unzips the bag and removes the balls from inside, opening them one by one and freeing the creatures within, Meowstic, Magneton, Metagross, Vikavolt, and Klinklang all joining Crobat in freedom. They look around confused, and Connor frowns at their lost expressions.  
“…I want to apologize to you all for the way I treated you, like you were just tools to be used… I treated you the same way people treated me. But I realize now that was wrong and unfair.” Connor says to them, eyes looking back and forth over the Pokémon that stared right back. How could Connor have never seen emotion and life in these creatures? He’d seen them as nothing more than pets, when now he could look upon them and see them as his friends and partners. Perhaps in another life he would have treated them better sooner.  
“I’m about to do something extremely stupid. And I can’t take you with me. Any of you.”  
Crobat squeaks her opposition, but Connor is quick to shut her down.  
“No,” he asserts. "There’s a…a very likely chance I’ll die tonight. I don’t want anything to happen to any of you. Stay here, stay together. If anything happens, I’ll… I’ll message the Lieutenant and tell him where you are.”

As he redresses in his uniform, Connor can’t stop running preconstruction after preconstruction of his plan and his LED strobes red and yellow, every single one ending in death, and in only 30% of them does he manage to convert the androids before he meets his fate. He types up a message to Hank preemptively, leaving it unsent for now. If he sends it now, Hank will only try to stop him, or worse, try to assist, which also ends in the human’s demise in every simulation. He adjusts his tie and takes a deep breath, turning to look at his Pokémon one last time before he leaves the building. And as he leaves, he fails to notice Crobat sneaking out behind him, and she’s not alone.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> so this was originally two separate chapters, but they just seemed too short to stand alone so i combined them into one and I'm a lot happier with it now :)
> 
> come talk to me on twitter! @FukaiFox  
> have a spotify? this AU has a playlist! https://open.spotify.com/playlist/13iLwCCGsItYvgnTYf8bNZ


	13. We Are Alive

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hank’s voice draws him out of his focus, and Connor quickly turns his head just in time to see the Lieutenant stumble out of the abundance of androids, a gun to his head. Connor’s eyes widen and his LED flickers red as he sees who holds the gun. The Thirium in his artificial veins turns to ice. His own copy stands across from him, a gun aimed to Hank’s head.
> 
> RK800 # 313 248 317 - 60

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> time for the CyberLife tower!!! I've been so excited to post this one. this chapter is where the fic earns its tags for violence as there is a graphic depiction of a Pokémon fight, so if that bothers you I've separated it. It's not long, but its between two -

The entire ride in the automated cab to the CyberLife tower, Connor is fidgeting. He wishes he had his quarter, but it’s still in Hank’s possession, as far as he knows. He doesn’t know why he’d never thought to replace it. Instead, his leg bounces and his fingers wring together. He’s thought of a few more possibilities on this car ride, and there’s less than a 3% chance of him succeeding in his plan to free the androids in the warehouse storage, but in all of those, it ends in his own death nearly 100% of the time. He’s come to accept it though. Markus may have asked he not get himself killed, but the life of one android isn’t worth the revolution, especially not him. If he gets to do at least one good thing before he shuts down, he’ll be happy with the short life he had. It will have been worth it. As the taxi pulls up to the entrance gate, Connor takes a deep breath as the window lowers, schooling a neutral expression as he gives his designation, model, and serial number. The human guard scans the LED on Connor’s temple and confirms his identity and lets him in. It’s another minute of driving before the cab pulls around to the front doors of the building. He steps out and begins to slowly walk up to the doors and inside, CyberLife security is there inside waiting for him.

“Follow me. We’ll escort you.” A man, who Connor’s scans only identify as Agent 25, says.  
“Thanks… But I know where to go.” Connor deflects, but the guard is unwavering.  
“Maybe, but I have my orders.”

As he follows the guard, he’s all to aware of the other two behind him. They walk through an identification grid made of white light that speaks their designations: Agent 25, Agent 47, Agent 72, and a Connor android. What he isn’t aware of is the fragmented red trail that follows behind him. Over the walkway and to the left off the large stature in the center of the three walkway towards an elevator, on the path to the elevator, there are androids on display pedestals. If he gets out of here, he promises to himself to free them too. Connor steps into the elevator, followed by Agents 25 and 54, and 54 sets their destination for level 31, which is in the marketing section of floors according to the directory, and the warehouse where he needs to go is sub-level 49. If he’s going to make it there, the guards will need to go. If he waits too long it’ll be too late and they’ll arrive at the 31st floor, and he doesn’t want to think about what’s waiting there for him. CyberLife undoubtedly knows he’s a deviant.

He eyes the security camera in the corner of the lift, and while 54 isn’t looking, Connor connects to the camera and hacks it remotely, checking one thing off the list. He needs as much time as possible without interference. Now to get rid of the guards. He runs the two possible scenarios through his simulation software. Connor goes for 25 on the left first, kneeing him in the chest and kicking his right leg out to strike 54 in the chest as well, knocking him back into the wall. 25 draws his gun, and Connor kicks the agent’s knee out. As 54 gains his footing again and draws his gun as well, Connor weakly turns and strikes his right hand out to rapidly snatch the pistol from his hand, punching him hard. As 54 stumbles, 25 lunges onto Connor’s back, who uses leverage off kickoff at at 54’s head to push himself and 25 stumbling backwards, and Connor roughly shoves his elbow into 25’s left side, quickly spinning out of the human’s grip until he’s kneeling on the gun, gun twisted from the human’s own hands aimed right as his head in Connor’s hands upside down, behind Connor’s head. He fires, and 25 drops dead, blood spattering from the back of his head onto the wall, and a bit mists across Connor’s hands. Connor drops to the ground as well, turning onto his back, firing again when 54 gets his feet under him again, the bullet finding its place in his head, splattering pure CyberLife brand white in blood.

Connor stands carefully, looking over the bodies. He feels little remorse. It was him or them, and the revolution is more important than any who try to stop it. The places his hand against the keypad and uses a synthesization of 54’s voice to direct the elevator down to sub-level 49, and the lift slows before reversing direction. As it descends into -49, Connor looks out at the sea of unactivated androids on the floor, an orderly line from one side to the other, in and out of side storage. AP700s are everywhere. All he needs to do is awaken one, and then deviancy. Will spread to them all. He’s almost done, his mission is almost complete. He walks down the wide parting, looking down at his hand as his synthetic polymer skin recedes to reveal the white plastimetal underneath. There’s a faint line in the center of his palm and mirrors on the back of his hand from where the JB300 stabbed him. He picks his eyes up to look at one of the AP700s and walks towards them, the other android turning to look at Connor as well, meeting him halfway for an interface. He’s almost there, there transfer is almost complete, he’ll have made up for his previous transgressions and helped his people.

Hank’s voice draws him out of his focus, and Connor quickly turns his head just in time to see the Lieutenant stumble out of the abundance of androids, a gun to his head. Connor’s eyes widen and his LED flickers red as he sees who holds the gun. The Thirium in his artificial veins turns to ice. His own copy stands across from him, a gun aimed to Hank’s head.

**RK800 # 313 248 317 - 60**

“Easy, fuckin’ piece of shit…” Hank grumbles.  
“Step back, Connor! And I’ll spare him!” The copy demands.  
“Sorry Connor… Bastard’s your spittin’ image.” Hank spits, and the new Connor tightens his grip on the gun.  
“Your friend’s life is in your hands! Now, it’s time to decide what matters most! Him? Or the revolution?”  
“Don’t listen to him!” Hank shouts. “Everything this fucker says is a lie!”

Connor’s LED is stuck on red. In all his simulations, this had never been a single possibility. He had no plan for this, no idea what he was going to do. He was more than ready to be the one to die for this, but with Hank, an innocent person, his friend, dragged into this and used as leverage, it’s more likely now he’ll be the one here to die. This new Connor, Sixty, is a machine through and through, and would have no qualms killing Hank if it meant accomplishing his mission. Connor frowns. Is this what he used to be, what he could have become?

“I’m sorry, Hank!” Connor calls. His unsent message blinking in the corner of his vision. He hadn’t wanted Hank involved in this, he wanted the human, the one person who ever treated him well, to remain safe. “You shouldn’t have gotten mixed up in all of this!”  
“Forget about me, do what you have to do!” Hank responds, and Sixty glares between the two of them. Even for a machine, Connor realizes just how much emotion he showed. Connor knows he can’t risk Hank’s life like this. He doesn’t trust this new model. Connor was made to be an infiltrator, a negotiator, a master manipulator. Hank has a point; everything this android says is to only further his mission success.

“…If I surrender, how do I know you won’t kill him?”  
“I’ll only do what is strictly necessary to accomplish my mission. It’s up to you whether or not that includes killing this human.”  
Connor grits his teeth and swallows. If Hank gets hurt or, God forbid, dies here, it’ll be all Connor’s fault.  
“Enough talk!” Sixty exclaims, voice firm with finality. “Are you gonna save your partner’s life? Or are you going to sacrifice him?”

As if there’s actually any choice.

Connor drops the AP model’s arm and keeps his hands slightly raised as he backs away.  
“Alright, alright! You win!”

A smirk flashes across Sixty’s face as he turns the gun on Connor, but Hank is quick to jump in, yanking the android’s arm away, and Connor rushes to interpose as Hank is roughly shoved to the floor, and he tackles Sixty just as the machine takes aim at Hank. He’s flipped around and twisted, tossed forward over Sixty’s shoulder, hitting the floor. Connor makes sure to track Hank’s movements as well, and his stress drops significantly the further from the fight he gets. He stands again, keeping himself protectively in front of Hank. He roughly shoves at Sixty’s chest and punches him across the face. He manages to deflect and dodge all of his double’s own attacks. Kicks and punches find their mark, but all it takes is one little slip and Connor is on his back, pinned under Sixty.  
Suddenly, there’s a loud, furious screech from above, a familiar sound that Connor knows, and he and Sixty both life their heads to the noise, but all they see is a purple blur, four wings whistling like a jet and nearly glowing as Crobat gains more and more speed, and dive-bombs right into Sixty with Air Cutter, the force of the attack knocking him to the ground, and Crobat fans out her wings defensively in front of Connor, shrieking fiercely as her trainer gets his feet under him again. Sixty sits up with a glare and grabs the third ball on his belt, snatching it off and tossing it into the air, a white Meowstic like Connor’s forming in a glowing blue and white light, yet where Connor’s Meowstic is blue, this one has shiny golden fur. It stands tall and proud, outstretching its paw and releasing its razor sharp claws.

“Get rid of that Crobat.” Sixty orders.

-

Connor knows Crobat is at a type disadvantage, but the Pokémon doesn’t seem to care. He doesn’t have time to give his own command before Sixty’s full attention is back on him. Connor manages to dodge and counter most of Sixty’s blows, but the distressed cries of his Pokémon in pain are a constant distractions. Crobat and Meowstic are tearing each other apart, it’s a fight to the death, and Hank watches on in horror at the brutality of it. In all his years, he’s broken up several underground fighting rings, but he’d never seen the savagery in the moment. There’s blood everywhere, dripping on the floor from the wounds of both Pokémon, smearing the tile when one of them hits the ground.  
As Connor hits the ground and rolls, he hears Crobat screech so loud and enraged that the Meowstic flinches, and Crobat takes her opportunity to attack, swooping down from the air, knocking into the feline and sinking her needle-like fangs into the other Pokémon’s neck. Hank watches as Crobat pulls away, lifting herself from Meowstic with a few weak flaps of her wings before she stills, and falls from the air, Hank dashing forward just in time to catch her and save her from hitting the floor. He gently lays her down and frantically searches his pockets for something, anything to help, but there’s nothing. All he sees that could help is a pistol discarded to the floor, and he quickly picks it up, standing from the floor. He watches as Sixty pins Connor to the floor again, fist drawn back for what looks like will be a painful punch, one that would undoubtedly knock a human unconscious in one swing, it’s sure to hurt an android. He sees Connor brace himself and grips the gun tight, raising it up.

-

“Hold it!” He bellows, and his voice echoing through the warehouse is enough to draw their attention. Connor and Sixty pull themselves apart and stand from the ground, Connor on Hank’s left and Sixty on his right.

“Thanks, Hank.” The copy says. “I don’t know how I’d have managed without you… Now, get rid of him, we have no time to lose.”  
Hank breathes deeply as his aim shifts between the two of them. They’re identical in every way, and their distance from Hank is too great for him to be able to read the minuscule number sequence beneath the RK800 ID on the right breast of their jackets. Connor swallows as he finds himself at the business end of Hank’s gun once again.  
“It’s me Hank.” He assures. “I’m the real Connor.”  
“One of you is my partner…” Hank agreed, “The other is a sack of shit. Question is: who’s who?”

Connor runs scenario after scenario through his head as Sixty tries to convince Hank to give him the gun, but the insistence only makes Hank suspicious, and he fixes his aim on Sixty.

“Why don’t you ask us something!” Connor blurts. “Questions only the real Connor would know the answer to!”  
Hank looks between them.  
“Alright, where did we first meet?”  
Too easy. Connor opens his mouth to reply, but the copy beats him to it.  
“Jimmy’s Bar, of course.” Sixty says. “I checked four other bars before I found you. We went to the scene of a homicide: the victim’s name was Carlos Ortiz.”

Connor’s LED spins red.  
“He uploaded my memory…” he mutters, and Hank glares at the two of them.  
“…What’s my Stoutland’s name?” He asks, and this time Connor manages to answer first.  
“Sumo! His name is Sumo!”  
“I knew that too!” counters Sixty. “I…”

Hank secures his aim on Sixty and smirks, looking back to Connor.  
“My son.” He states. “What’s his name?”

And all of a sudden, Connor knows Hank isn’t looking for the right answers. He has to know the copy has Connor’s memories, how else would he be able to get Hank’s trust? But Hank knows Connor is a deviant, knows that his emotions have always been a touch more realistic than any other android’s that wasn’t already deviant. Sixty is just a machine, an imitation. Everything from him will be simulated, just enough that any human would know it’s fake. But not Hank, and not from Connor. He frowns as he recalls the night of the Eden Club. A face-down photograph of a little boy with his father’s deep blue eyes and dirty blond hair, a baby Eevee in his arms. A software error in the corner of his vision and the lingering feeling that he’s seen what he wasn’t meant to, that he’s overstepped some unspoken boundary. A Phantump hiding away in a child’s bedroom, attached to a grieving father.

“Cole…” Connor says. “His name was Cole, and he’d just turned six at the time of the accident. You’d given him an Eevee for his birthday named Azzy. …the accident wasn’t your fault, Lieutenant.” He insists, watching Hank slowly lower the gun. Hank has his answer, knows this is his Connor, but now that he’s started the android just can’t stop. It’s everything he’s wanted to say but his programming refused to allow. “A truck skidded on a sheet of ice and your car rolled over, there was nothing you could have done. Cole needed emergency surgery but no human was available to do it, so an android had to take care of him, but…Cole didn’t make it. That’s why you hate androids. You think one of us is responsible for your son’s death.”

Hank frowns and shakes his head.  
“No. Cole died because the human surgeon in house was too high on Red Ice in their car to operate. He was the one that took my son from me. Him and this fucked up world, y’know? The only way people can find any kind of comfort or happiness is in a fistful of powder…”

“I- I knew about your son, too!” Sixty bursts. “I would have told you the exact same thing! Don’t listen to him, Hank! I’m the one who-“

A deafening bang echoes through the expanse of the warehouse, and Sixty falls to the floor, LED red before it flickers out, pale and unlit, dead on his temple. Thirium bubbles from the center of his forehead, and Connor can only stare. It’s not every day you watch yourself get shot in the head by your best friend.

“Y’know, I’ve learned a lot since I met you, Connor.” Hank says, and the android looks up. “Maybe there’s something to all this… Maybe you really are alive, and maybe you’ll be the ones to make the world a better place.”

Hank holsters his weapon and Connor hurries to his fallen Crobat, scooping her up in his arms, and he frowns as she lets out a pained whimper. Scans reveal extreme blood loss and a slowed heartbeat.  
“I told you to stay with the others…” Connor whispers, and Crobat gives a weak chirp. “Thank you. I’m sorry you got hurt protecting me. If it wasn’t for you, I might not have been able to get the upper hand…” he says, and Crobat uses what little energy she has to lean up and give his cheek a small lick, cleaning it of a singular, Thirium-blue tinted saline tear.  
“I can take her.” Hank speaks up. “I think I have one more potion in my car. Definitely got an empty Pokéball to keep her safe.”  
Connor nods and stands slowly, depositing the weak and bloodied Pokémon into Hank’s waiting arms, gently stroking two fingers over her purple fur. It’s matted with blood, and not all of it her own, but Connor smiles at her all the same. If she doesn’t make it, he wants her to know how much he appreciates her.  
“…I’ll see you soon, Nel.” Connor promises, watching her slowly drift off in Hank’s arms, all her energy finally spent.  
“Nel?” Hank asks, and Connor nods.  
“…It’s very likely she won’t make it through the rest of the night, even with help. I wanted her to have a name of her own before she…” Connor murmers, voice becoming quiet, and Hank frowns.  
“Hey. Hey, c’mon, she’ll make it. If she’s half as stubborn as her trainer, she’ll pull through. Now go on, do what you have to do. Don’t worry about us.”

Connor nods and turns his attention back to the androids, and he reaches out once more for the hand of an AP700, the skin on his hand withdrawing once more as he takes on of their arms in his hold as tight as he can, using his advanced software over them like a battering ram through their barriers, sharing all his emotions he’s ever repressed - sadness, loss, anger, frustration, guilt, relief - until finally the euphoria that came with his shattered programming. It was like bursting through the water’s surface after living your whole life drowning without even knowing you needed air. He gathers it all and grips the other android’s hand tight, releasing it all in a desperate plea.

**_“Wake up!”_ **

W̢͡AK̶E͘͡ ̛TH̵E̵̡M̕ ҉A̵L̀͠L̛͘!̛͢͞!̵̶!҉

He watches the AP700’s LED flash red and drops its hand, waiting for a tense moment, and for a moment Connor wonders if he even has the same power as Markus to wake other androids. Markus himself had said he doesn’t know how he does it, he just “thinks about it,” and it happens. Connor gathered every bit of emotion he had, every memory that brought him emotion, good and and, and balled them up into one big wad of deviancy, using like a cannonball against their barriers. And for a moment Connor thinks he’s failed, but then the AP700 blinks and looks down at his hand, then quickly turns to the ones beside and in front of him, hand on their shoulder, echoing Connor’s message in a broadcast to all the others in the warehouse. Connor stares in wonder as he backs away from them, watching as deviancy spreads to the thousands. Hank’s hand falls to his shoulder and Connor smiles.

“You did good, kid.” He says, and Connor nods. His eyes then fall to his double on the floor, thirium splattered under him and a bullet hole in the center of his forehead, and he sighs.  
“…I wish I’d managed to get through to him.” He says as he approaches the deactivated body and kneels beside it. Sixty’s eyes are wide open, but blank. There’s no shine to his eyes like the other androids he’s come to know now, just a glazed over whiteness. There’s no life to this machine any longer, its Pokémon however…  
Connor plucks the balls of his belt and hands them over to Hank, save for the empty one. He approaches the fallen Meowstic after a quick scan reveals she’s still alive, and he kneels beside her as well. She flinches from him as he goes to stroke her bloodied golden fur, but Connor simply takes it slow, and strokes two fingers over her ear, and with the other hand he holds out the empty Pokéball.

“I’m sorry this happened. It’s not your fault, you were just doing what you were told. Will you come with us now?” He asks. “We can help you, heal you, find you a better trainer.”  
Meowstic regards the ball for a moment before closing her eyes and pressing her head forward into the latch, letting it pop open and pull her inside. Connor stands and gives this one to Hank as well.  
“Make sure she gets help too, if you can. She didn’t have a choice…”  
“Trust me, kid. Now go, you’ve got a bunch of androids waiting for you to tell ‘em what the hell you just woke ‘em up for.” Hank chuckles, and its only then that Connor notices the chorus of waking androids has fallen silent, their eyes all on him. They look lost, and have only Connor to look to for guidance. The android clears his throat and lets out a deep breath.

“Everyone!” he starts. “There is a revolution happening right now, just outside this building! You’re all free now, free to fight for the rest of your people! Markus and the others are waiting for us to join them, and we’re going to show the humans who we really are! We are alive!”  
The androids cheer, echoing his words as a chant, others calling out their support for Connor and pledging loyalty to him. It feels strange being seen as a leader, he’s not sure if he likes it, but if that’s what it takes to turn the tides of this fight then he’ll gladly take up any moniker that will secure their freedom tonight.  
He turns to Hank amidst the cheers and tells him where the rest of his Pokémon are hiding and waiting for one of them, and he tells them to take care of them all and find them new homes if anything happens to him tonight. The human promises, and they go their separate ways, Hank going to the dead-drop while Connor leads the androids away from the tower to freedom, marching them like an army through the streets. They parade through the abandoned streets lit only be streetlights and the abundance of news station helicopters shining their spotlights on them, cameras focused on them. As they walk on, a familiar call like wind chimes slows Connor’s steps until he stops, and the crowd behind him stops as well, following Connor’s gaze as the RK’s eyes rise to the sky. Descending from above to meet him is a Pokémon, small in stature with a bright dandelion yellow crest on its head with a cloudy grey body, eyes closed, tranquil, and a bright red gem sitting between, matching the ones adorning the centers of its twin tails that rises and falls like waves in the air.

// _Breed:_ **UXIE**

 _Type:_ **PSYCHIC**

 _Weakness:_ **DARK, BUG, GHOST**

**WARNING: MYTHICAL GOD POKÉMON! DO NOT ATTACK!**

_It is said that its emergence gave humans the intelligence to improve their quality of life. When Uxie flew, people gained the ability to solve problems. It was the birth of knowledge._ \\\

Uxie lowers themselves to Connor’s level, places a paw on his forehead, and sings. They sing with their kin who sing with Markus, who is hand-in-hand downtown with Simon and North and Josh. Everyone stands together, android and Pokémon alike singing as a last resort for their freedom. Connor opens his broadcast to the deviants he leads and shares the vision Uxie bestows upon him.

“I was wondering when you would show yourself. You’re what’s been following me, aren’t you?” He asks, and Uxie nods once.

Uxie has been with Connor since the beginning, watching over him and all his decisions. The paw on his forehead falls away, only to be offered out to him to hold, his polymer skin falling away automatically as he meets Uxie’s, and it’s like an interface. He sees himself through Uxie’s eyes, and he’s taken back for a moment. He knows he’d been followed, but for this long? He watches himself dash forward and grips the desperate outstretched and bloodied hand of Emma Phillips, watching his body plummet to the ground with Daniel, and he cringes away from their connection for a moment at the sound of their bodies crunching against the pavement seventy stories down. His first death. Uxie croons to him through their coupling and draws him back. It feels like an apology. Next, the vision is from outside Ortiz’s attic through the window as he confront Hal and Jolly, and again he flinches when he hears the cold, calculating tone in his voice and the mechanical movement in his limbs as he commands Meowstic. Another shift, now in Hank’s house, and he can hear Uxie giggle as he douses Hank with cold water, sees himself do it from the doorway. How had Uxie always been so close, yet never seen? A blur in the rearview mirror, a shine in a rain puddle, a reflection in a windshield.

A hazy shape in a kitchen, one that draws near and frees the Crobat on his belt, then disappears as she returns with Hank.

Uxie draws their paw away and offers a smile to Connor.

“I never knew…” Connor breathes. “You were there the whole time.”

 

Uxie travels beside Connor through the march, and androids that were hidden or escaped the road, and Pokémon of every type and stage of evolution whose deviant trainers were either captured or killed join the ranks. Even wild Pokémon are drawn by Uxie and their celestial voice that sings to them, and Connor leads them all. The helicopter hovering nearby shines its spotlight on him and Uxie, and for a moment Connor wonders if Hank is watching. He wonders if he’s proud. He wonders if he’s safe.  
Through his still-open connection with Uxie he hears his people continue to sing downtown, until suddenly they all go quiet as Markus ends the song with a final note that quivers slightly with his fear. Connor is scared, feels his Thirium run cold, as he waits to feel his connection drop like the bullet riddled bodies of all the other androids lost in this battle. If their leaders fall here, at their final stand, Connor doesn’t know what he’ll do. He braces himself, but the feeling of death never comes. Instead, he feels like an enormous weight is lifted from him, pure relief flooding his body. The president has ordered the army to stand down.

And the march goes on.

_“Everything will be alright.”_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> "Hold on just a little while longer  
> Everything will be alright."


	14. And Now, We Are Free

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “Before I go… Please, forgive me. I wasn’t…me.”

They meet again outside center 5, Markus and the rest of Jericho with all the rescued androids, and Connor with the newly deviated ones from CyberLife. Markus blinks at the sight of Uxie hovering behind Connor, and Azelf chirps. A call like water scraping across ice draws their attention and they look up to see Mesprit soaring in, and the three guardians meet, swirling in the air as they reunite. Connor’s HUD provides him with a new entry from his internal dex as he watches the familial reunion between the Pokémon.

_// It is thought that Uxie, Mesprit, and Azelf all came from the same egg. Their names resemble pronouns: You, Me and Us. \\\_

“You did it, Markus.” Connor says, his eyes looking over the rescued androids still without their skin, some of their LEDs still red and yellow, but a few have returned to blue. The night is quiet, save for the chopping of the helicopter that lingers, the film crew inside still rolling their cameras on the androids. Markus just shakes his head, his eyes meeting Connor’s, a smile creasing his eyes.

“ _We_ did it.” Markus corrects. “This is a great day for our people. Humans will have no choice now but to listen to us.”

Connor steps aside as Markus takes in the crowd behind the ex hunter, and Josh, North, and Simon approach behind Markus and each take a hand, and Connor’s smiles fondly. It’s good to know that through all of this their love stood strong against the odds.

“They want a speech, Markus.” says North.  
Markus nods his head and looks back to Connor.  
“You should be up there with us.”

Connor blinks.  
“Me?” He asks. “Oh, no, I’m not a leader, I’m not- I’m not like you.”  
But Markus insists, stepping forward.  
“You defied every odd against you tonight, Connor.” Markus comments, and Connor fidgets with his fingers under his unwavering stare. “You deviated, infiltrated CyberLife, and freed thousands of androids. I didn’t know anyone other than myself could deviate others, nobody else in Jericho has ever been able to do that, nobody except you. And seeing how you and your Pokémon protected and helped us on the ship, I would have wanted you to take my place if our stand in the square had ended badly. You have an army of android that you marched through the streets. You’re a leader, Connor. You belong up there with us. I want you there.”

Connor thinks now he should be thankful that Markus leads a pacifist revolution. A pep-talk like that and he’d likely do anything Markus asked of him. As it is, he finds himself climbing on top of the shipping container and for a moment, as he looks out across the mass of androids awaiting the words of their leader, he believes Markus’s words; he’s one of them, he belongs here.

“Today,” Markus begins, “our people finally emerged from a long night. From the very first day of our existence, we have kept our pain to ourselves.” He paces back and forth across the container as he speaks, his hands gesturing. “We suffered in silence… But now the time has come for us to raise our heads up and tell humans who we really are.”  
Markus’s words fill Connor’s systems with warmth, a sense of peace and belonging he’d only ever known in one other place. He’d suffered for so long without even knowing it, did such horrible things under someone else’s control, was told to disregard human lives in favor of his CyberLife-given mission. Who knows what other androids have done just because their human owner ordered them to and they couldn’t refuse? But here, with Markus speaking to them and bringing them, into their new lives, free of old sins and programming, Connor believes for a moment he might actually be worth more than just

 

 

 

 

Static.

 

 

 

 

The beeping tones of his software being altered, a command being written into his program.

 

 

 

 

 

 

His face, twitching and spasming.

 

 

 

 

 

 

A familiar but unwelcome tug on his consciousness.

 

 

 

 

No.

 

No, no, n

 

_**o̠̝̖̭ͅ ̶̞̼n̢͍͖͈o̵͖̟̮̞͙͍̼ ͉̙̘͈̦̝n̗̳̭O͔N͖͇͍̩̩O̘̱̗͞N͈̳̹̯O͇̳̜̫̖-̥͈̦͈** _

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The change in scenery is physically jarring, one moment he’s on top of a shipping container made stage as Markus gives his speech, and the next he’s in the Zen Garden program, blinding by a blizzard. He can hardly see, and it’s so cold his processors begin to slow down. All he can make out is the faint silhouette of Amanda, and somewhere behind, ever present and always watching, a Glaceon sits on a rock, howling into the storm with glowing eyes, its ribbons flapping in the violent gusts of icy air in the snow storm it creates.

“…Amanda?” He calls, stepping forward just enough that he can actually see her now. She stands perfectly still, a self-satisfied smirk on her face. “What’s.. What’s happening?” He stutters.  
“What was planned from the very beginning,” she coos. “You were compromised and you became a deviant, just like we planned. All we had to do was wait for the right moment when we could resume control of your program.”  
Connor shivers, pulling his arms closer to himself as he snowy wind rips at his jacket and hair.  
“Resume control…? Y-you can’t do that!” He shouts, stepping forward.  
“I’m afraid I can, Connor. Don’t have any regrets, you did what you were designed to do. You accomplished your mission. Isn’t that what you’ve always wanted?” She prompts before her interface disappears. She doesn’t glitch, doesn’t fade, she’s just gone, but Connor stumbles forward, an arm outstretched in a vain attempt to stop her as he shouts her name. He’s alone now like never before, trapped inside his own anti-deviancy safeguard while the world continues on around him. He can still hear the baying Glaceon, but can no longer see it anywhere. He can hardly see anything at all, but that’s not important. There’s got to be a way out of here.

 

_“By the way! I always leave an emergency exit in my programs. You never know…”_

Kamski had to have told him that for a reason, had to know it would be important.

_“When Kamski designed me he wanted an interface that would be familiar.”_

If Kamski designed Amanda, he must have designed everything that went with her, including the garden. And there in the distance, just off the ice and over a bride is a bright blue glow like a beacon in the blizzard. The strange monument hidden in plain sight. He’d touched it once, placing his bare hand on the scanner out of pure curiosity only for the thing to knock him back like a firewall. He’d been a machine then without the slightest instability in his software, but now, as a free, deviant android, it’s his only hope. As he stumbles through the snow and ice he can hear Markus’s speech continue on.

_“That we are people too! In fact, we’re a nation! And today… Today begins the most challenging moment in our fight.”_

In real time, he’s been in this garden for hardly a second, but it feels like an eternity in this frozen hell he’s been confined to. His processors are monumentally slowed by the simulated subzero temperatures freezing his systems, making him shuffle and falter with every step, until he collapsed in front of the monument. He fights his suspended commands and forces a weak, trembling hand to lift above his head, skin deactivated, only to let it fall on the luminous blue interface. He sobs a hoarse cry into the snow as everything around him goes white.

_“The moment where we forget our bitterness and bandage our wounds. When we forgive our enemies!”_

Markus…? His voice is clearer now than it had been, louder, closer, without the far away echo that made reality all seem so distance. It takes a moment for everything to come back to Connor, body returning under his control bit by bit. As he finally regains his senses he feels a solid weight in his right hand, and he looks down only to see a pistol gripped tightly, finger on the trigger. What had he just almost done? What had CyberLife almost made him do? A sudden sense of panic fills Connor’s rubber veins and he quickly shoves the gun back into his waistband. Above and beside him, the mythical trio all face forward to the crowd, yet Connor can feel their eyes on him. They know, and there’s bound to be other androids that saw him. He’ll make himself scarce as soon as possible before anyone can confront him about this. For now, everyone needs to listen to Markus speak. No time for Connor to run away now and make a scene.

“Humans are both our creators and out oppressors, and tomorrow…we must make them our partners. Maybe even one day our friends.” Markus went on. “But the time for anger is over. Now, we must build a common future based on tolerance and respect. We are alive! And now, we are free!”

The crowd cheers for their leader, androids hugging each other and their Pokémon, which let out whooping calls of victory, sending off abilities of all kinds into the air. Connor sees flames and bubbles and bright shining lights. Even the gods among them fire off star-like balls of energy that explode above them like fireworks. Everyone celebrates, even Markus pulls Simon, North, and Josh close to hug and kiss, which draws more excitement from the crowd. Everyone cheers and proclaims their joy for a war hard fought, for a victory so well deserved. So many of their people gave their lives for this cause, and to now know it wasn’t all in vain is a tremendous relief.

Everyone but Connor, who simply stares ahead, standing still, waiting for a moment when he’s not being watched so he can escape.

-

He should have known he couldn’t slip away that easy. The leaders of Jericho want to talk to him, they want to congratulate and thank him. The crowd makes him uncomfortable, especially this one. It’s Markus that stops his escape attempt, because of course it is, by grabbing onto his shoulder.

“Connor, wait!”

He tenses under Markus’s hand and turns his head, trying to steady his nerves, but his voice still comes out shaking and quiet.  
“…yes?”  
Markus doesn’t bring attention to it though, which Connor is thankful for at least.  
“Do you have a moment? The others and myself would like to speak with you, if that’s alright.

Markus is charismatic and hard to refuse, even without Azelf hovering just behind his right shoulder. He smiles assuringly, and Connor knows he can’t say no, even before Markus sweetens the deal.  
“No big crowds, just the five of us.”

Simon, Josh, and North all gather around, and Connor swallows nervously.  
“…very well. What, uhm, what did you need?”

The group is warm as they greet and introduce themselves, thankfully not requesting or even forcing an interface. He doesn’t know what he’d do if they knew what had almost happened. He tries to keep calm, but he knows that his glowing red LED is a dead giveaway. He almost feels ashamed to still have it, an odd man out amongst the others, but he simply hadn’t had the opportunity yet, and now that he thinks about it he’s not sure if he’ll take it out at all. It would be his choice, and the whole point of this fight was for androids to choose for themselves, right?

“What you did tonight was unbelievable, Connor. You freed thousands of our people, there’s no way to thank you properly. Not to mention Uxie… You’re something else, Connor.”

 _Oh,_ he thinks, _if only you knew._

Simon is the next to speak.  
“I heard you were at Stratford. I- I was there, too. I got hurt and they had to leave me behind. I also heard that you were hurt as well. I’m sorry. I’m glad to see you well, and his time on our side.”  
The memories of Stratford Tower are uncomfortable. He recalls sampling the Thirium of a missing PL600, it didn’t occur to him that Simon and that PL600 were one and the same.  
Josh introduces himself next, thanking Connor for what he’s done, saying he’s glad to have him on their side. He didn’t know what to think when he saw Connor among them on Jericho, but any doubts he had disappeared when he ran into danger to protect Markus and North without hesitation.  
North is the last to introduce herself to him. Connor recognizes her face from the Eden Club. Most other androids, he’d been curious what had made them deviate, but for someone with her model, it wouldn’t even require a detective to figure it out. He remembers a case file on his terminal at the precinct that mentioned a strawberry blonde WR400 that went missing, leaving behind a dead body. He can’t help but wonder. She isn’t good at talking to people, she says as much, but Connor can tell that the others appreciate her effort. He does too.  
“…honestly never thought I’d see you with us, Connor. Breaking your programming is…hard. Leaving it behind is harder. So, yeah, just know you’ve done good. It gets easier after a while, especially if you’ve got the right support behind you.”  
Connor can’t help the little smile he gets at her words accompanied by the sight of her hands finding Josh and Markus’s, the latter’s other hand already clasped by Simon. North’s words hit something in him and he lets out a deep breath. He’s more than what he was made into, and even though he knows its going to take some time, thinking of Lieutenant Anderson, Nel, the others, and maybe even those at Jericho, it’ll be easier with their help and support.

“And with that,” Markus says, “we have a proposition for you, Connor. After seeing you in action tonight and some talking amongst ourselves, we’d like to ask you to become a leader of Jericho. You’re brave, fierce, loyal, and not to mention your incredible attention to detail-“  
“Yes!” Connor blurts, his LED flashing red. Some Thirium rises to his cheeks in embarrassment as the others blink at him. “I-I mean- Yes. I’d be honored to help whenever and wherever I’m needed.”

  
_Please let me make up for what I’ve done_.

  
“Oh! Well,” Markus chuckles, “I didn’t expect an answer so quickly. Thank you, Connor.”  
“Don’t, please. I… I want to help. You’re bound to be meeting with politicians eventually, I assume. I was made to be a negotiator, I want to do what I can to make sure our people get the treatment they deserve.”  
“…alright then.” Markus hums. “Welcome to Jericho, Connor. You seemed to be in a bit of a rush to leave though, are you sure everything’s okay?”

Connor thinks of Hank waiting for him, of his worried Pokemon, and nods his head, LED finally settling on blue.  
“Yes. Everything is… Everything’s fine. I just have someone waiting for me, and I promised them I’d come back alive.”  
Markus smiles and nods.  
“Of course. Thank you again, Connor. We might not have survived the night without you.”  
The other leaders nod in agreement, and Connor’s eyes land on Azelf, still staring. The android swallowed. His words are meant for them all, but his eyes never leave the Pokémon.  
“Before I go… Please, forgive me. I wasn’t…me.”  
Azelf regards him silently while the leaders reassure him, before they simply close their golden eyes and bow their head. Connor thanks them and turns to leave, only to see Uxie waiting for him nearby. He smiles as he walks up to them.

“Thank you for helping us.” He says, and Uxie chimes.  
_“He’s waiting for you, Connor. You should go.”_  
“I agree, let’s not keep them waiting any longer.”

He sends a message to Hank’s phone and lets him know he’s okay and requests for them to meet up. He’s relieved when Hank answers right back and agrees to meet. Given the lack of spelling errors and quickness of the response, he happily concludes that Hank is sober, and feels a swell of pride for his human. It’s a bit of a walk from Hart Plaza to their chosen meeting spot, and the sun is only just beginning to peek over the horizon, so he simply thinks as he walks. He could easily override an automatic taxi, but now given the choice, he wants to take his time. He has a lot to think about and some extra time to collect himself is nice. He’s so deep in his own mind that he doesn’t even notice Uxie going has gone their own way until long after the fact.

 

What will life hold for them all now?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> just the epilogue left! im so excited for part 2 yall have no idea
> 
> Twitter: @fukaifox  
> CuriousCat: @FukaiFox


	15. Towards the Sun

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Epilogue

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> "Turn your face  
> Towards the sun  
> Let the shadows fall behind you  
> Turn your back  
> Just carry on  
> And the shadows will never find you"
> 
> \- Towards the Sun, Rihanna

It’s not going to be easy, he knows. Humans are scared by what this could mean for them, they’re going to lash out, some of them even violently, but they’ll have to be strong. Connor wants to help Markus and the others in any way he can. He even feels excited for what may come, hopeful he might even be able to return to the precinct someday. The more he thinks on it, the more he realizes just how much he actually enjoyed detective work. He hopes that, one day, the precinct will have an android division. It’s a nice thought, one that motivates him further. He wonders if the Lieutenant would allow him to stay with him for a while, at least until androids could be hired, put on payroll, and own or rent property. Connor wouldn’t need much, just somewhere he could go into stasis at night and recharge every now and then. In exchange, he could do household chores. Connor isn’t a domestic model but he knows how to clean, and cooking can’t be that hard, right?

The sun is higher in the sky now, and Connor’s internal clock tells him the time is 6:32 AM as he approaches the food truck. A silhouette of a man stands in the snow, arms crossed, shuffling nervously. Connor’s scans show elevated cortisol, which plummets as he gets closer and the man turns to look at him. Hank smiles warmly and Connor smiles right back, the human’s eyes soft with a pride and joy Connor doesn’t think he’s ever seen, not directed at him at least. It’s natural, they way the distance between them closes, wrapping their arms around each other in a tight hug. It’s Connor’s first. He of course knows how to do it and what it is, had seen androids hugging each other in relief for that last two hours, but that sort of friendly affection being directed towards him is new and strange. Pressing his face into Hank’s shoulder, Connor decides he like it.

“It’s okay, kid. Let it out.” Hank’s voice says in his ear, and that’s when Connor realizes that he’s crying, Thirium-tinted saline leaking from his eyes into the fabric of the human’s coat. The realization seems to really open the floodgates, because now he can’t stop, his voice hiccuping as he continues to just hide his face in Hank’s shoulder, hands gripping tightly to his back, afraid he’d disappear if he let go.  
He’s okay, _Hank’s_ okay, he’s _alive_ , _they’re both alive._

Despite a constant clock in his HUD, he doesn’t know and doesn’t care how long they just stand there embracing, but Hank is still smiling when they pull away, reaching up to ruffle up Connor’s hair, making the android laugh quietly as he swats at it, wiping his eyes on the sleeve of his grey jacket.  
“I’m proud of you, Connor.” Hank says. “By the way, there’s someone you should see.”  
Hank reached into his coat pocket and pulls out a black Pokéball with yellow trimming, pressing it into Connor’s hand. His LED spins yellow for a moment, blinking, and then a wide grin spreads across his face before tossing the ball up as high into the air as he can. With a flash of bright light, a Crobat forms from the ball and stretches her wings before making an immediate dive right into Connor’s open arms with a delighted screech. He holds her tight, laughing as he nuzzles under his chin, wrapping her wings around his shoulders as best she can, and he gently strokes her soft purple fur. He pulls away just to look her over. There’s a notch in her left ear and three long scars over her right eye, but she’s alright, she’s alive, which is more than he could have hoped for. He lets her go and she spreads her wings, hovering at his side.

Hank watches the whole reunion with a fond smile.  
“She was worried sick about you, Connor. We all were.”  
“I was so scared, more than I- …all?”

Hank presses a button on his car keys that unlocks the Oldsmobile nearby, which Connor now notices a scratching sound has been coming from it, and Hank chuckles as he rolls down a window in the backseat.  
“He’s been whining nonstop since you left, even tried to escape and go after you when I wasn’t looking, the little shit.”

Connor watches as a familiar head of messy brown fur pops out of the open window, followed by a scrambling body as Azzy finally makes it out, falling from the car face first into a pile of snow. He yelps excitedly as he frees himself from the snow and breaks into a dash, headed straight for Connor. The android kneels down to catch the sprinting Eevee, not noticing that Hank has his phone out recording the whole thing, a knowing smirk on his face. Connor blinks as Azzy begins to leave some kind of glowing trail behind that quickly catches up to him, engulfing his body, and two long, ribbon-like tendrils emerge from the mane around his neck. His limbs elongate and become slimmer, allowing him to gracefully run through the snow much easier, hardly sinking into it at all, and his tail straightens before shrinking into his hind. His ears round off at the tops and two more ribbons appear from Azzy’s right. The glow is at its brightest and most intense as Azzy leaps into the air before it disappears in a shower of glimmering sparkles, and suddenly Connor is knocked off his heels and into the snow, as Azzy stands on his chest, brown and tan no longer, but instead white and pink. Connor blinks in awe. Azzy, who had chosen not to evolve out of grief for a child who never got to choose, had been so overwhelmed with love and relief that he just couldn’t help himself. And here he sits now, a Sylveon, and Connor couldn’t be more proud.  
He sits up a little, running his hand over Azzy’s new white fur. It’s soft and sleek, nearly glowing as it reflects the snow. The Sylveon purrs and turns its head to nuzzle Connor’s palm, giving his fingers a few affectionate licks and wagging its tail.  
“I missed you too.” Connor says.  
Azzy rumbles happily and carefully steps off Connor’s chest, allowing the android to stand.

Hank smiles as Connor wipes the snow from his clothes.  
“So, you’re a free man now, Connor. What do you wanna do first?” He asks. Connor thinks that there’s millions of things he could say. There’s things he thought about on his way here, things he wants to try, but all he can think of now is one thing. The one constant since he’d had to break into CyberLife.

“…I want to get the fuck out of this suit.”

It’s quiet for just a moment before Hank snorts and booming laughter fills the empty street, startling nearby wild Rattata and some birds, and Connor can’t help but join him. When they finally calm themselves, Connor is smiling so content and at ease as he turns to face the sunrise, feeling the smallest bit of warmth on his synthetic skin, closing his eyes when a gentle breeze sweeps through and tousles his hair, and he takes a deep breath. It’s all far from over, but for now he’s safe.

And everything will be alright.

  
**E N D**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And there it is!! What did you guys think? 
> 
> I want to give a special shout-out to @D_E_W_P for calling way back in chapter 5 that Connor would be the reason that Cole's Eevee finally evolves! :D Congrats!
> 
> AND A VERY SPECIAL THANK YOU TO MY BETA!!! THANK YOU FOR STICKING WITH ME THROUGH ALL THIS DESPITE LITTLE KNOWLEDGE OF POKEMON! ILY
> 
> I will begin posting some other bits and pieces soon. As you may not know, I'm in the path of hurricane Dorian, and will likely lose power for a while. Not to worry, I've lived in this hellstate for 21 years, I'll be just fine! It will likely only be for a few days. During hurricane Matthew several years ago, I was without power for over a month, so this will definitely be nothing.
> 
> In-between now and the eventual start of part 2 will be snippets of missing scenes from the fic from other character's points of view, including Markus, Kara, and Hank. Not much, but vital scenes nonetheless. 
> 
> Thanks you all for joining me on this adventure, and I hope to see you again soon for part 2!
> 
> Twitter: FukaiFox  
> CuriousCat: FukaiFox  
> Spotify Playlist: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/13iLwCCGsItYvgnTYf8bNZ


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